I Would Be Your Slave
by Leanansidhe1228
Summary: The lyrics of a song feel familiar to Sarah, though she can't for the life of her figure out why. It takes nothing more than a car crash to bring her memories flooding back to her, pulling her back to the Labyrinth.
1. One Obsessed Fan

**Author's Note: I am terribly sorry it has been so long since my last update. Life's been crazy busy. However, upon glancing over my fanfic, I noticed some ridiculous typos that I had failed to fix the first time around when my beta had pointed them out, so I have decided to repair the whole thing, then post new chapters to boot! **

**I want to thank Rhiannonofthemoon for beta reading this fic from the beginning this time. Without her help, it would be a mess.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

**I Would Be Your Slave**

Sarah stood outside the door of room 12D waiting for her friend, Lenna, to get out of her theatre-dance class. She knew it would take a few minutes more than usual because of the trip to the mall that had come up so suddenly on their lunch break that they now planned to take after school.

You see, Lenna had a habit of wearing jeans and a t-shirt to school, but this wasn't her true choice in style. The jeans and t-shirt were merely far easier to dance in than the elaborate get-up that she _insisted_ on wearing when going out for anything other than dancing. I mean, really, have _you _ever tried dancing in go-go boots?

About ten minutes later, out popped Lena in a black-lined plaid dress that stopped about mid-thigh, made complete with a pair of black knee-high klonkers and a pair of fingerless, scraggly, black-lined plaid opera gloves. She also wore a black-lined plaid choker with a ruffly, lacey black strip running along the bottom. Her dyed-black hair was streaked with a brilliant red that she had applied only days before.

Sarah smiled and shook her head, grateful that her own style wasn't so complex.

"Quicker than I'd expected," she remarked, looking at her watch.

Lenna grabbed Sarah's arm and pulled it towards herself so she could check the time for herself. "Woo!" she screamed, letting go abruptly. "Record time!"

Sarah laughed as they began the trek to Lenna's old, beat up Honda. They dropped their stuff in the trunk upon their arrival, then went to climb into the front.

"So, this mall trip is awfully sudden," said Sarah. "What David Bowie album is debuting today?"

Lenna grinned. "You know me far too well."

Sarah smirked. "You've only been prancing around the dorm talking about nothing _but_ the new David Bowie album for the past month. Unfortunately, you failed to mention the name."

"_Heathen_ is the name of the glorious album that's arriving on the shelves on this blessed day," Lenna informed her in an incredibly dramatic tone.

"_Heathen_. Not gonna put you on a fast track to Hell, is it?" Sarah joked.

Lenna laughed. "I wouldn't care if it did. The music would be worth it." She quickly sent a mental apology to God for such a response to Sarah's question.

Sarah laughed herself and Lenna cranked up the stereo. _Let's Dance_ blared jubilantly through the brand new speakers. Sarah loved Lenna's priorities. The car was practically falling apart and you had a hit or miss chance of the engine actually starting, but her friend was sure to have the best stereo system that her hard-earned and long-saved money could afford. In fact, if it were between eating and playing David Bowie on the best system out there, Sarah had a feeling that Lenna would choose the latter.

After twenty David-Bowie-filled minutes of driving, Lenna pulled into the mall car park and shut off the car. The next thing Sarah knew, Lenna was miraculously half way across the lot, darting towards the mall's main doors. Sarah had just barely unbuckled her seatbelt at this point. Lenna's speed would have astonished her if she hadn't witnessed it first hand countless times before.

Normally, she would have rushed to catch up, but she knew from experience that it was safer to hang back and watch from afar when Lenna's "mission" involved David Bowie. So Sarah moved at a normal pace, being sure to make certain the car was locked before meandering to the front of the mall and entering, making an immediate right upon walking through the double glass doors and stopping at the window of the music store where she proceeded to watch the mission unfold.

Lenna was reaching for what appeared to be the last copy of the new album that she sought after. Sarah was happy for her friend until she saw someone else reach for the exact same CD. Her face fell and the words "oh, no" escaped her lips. However, it wasn't Lenna's safety that she was concerned for. She was really more concerned for Lenna's police record. She had a habit, you see, of getting a bit overzealous when she wanted something and she tended to lose self-control. Sarah had, over their years of friendship, witnessed Lenna issuing three broken noses, five black eyes, and the loss of a chunk of flesh from one unfortunate person's hand. Suffice it to say, she didn't need any more help getting into trouble with the law.

The girl opposite Lenna sneered something at her and Sarah could see offended rage paint Lenna's face before she leaned dangerously close to the other girl and whispered something.

Sarah had no clue what she'd said to her, but clearly it had hit just right because the other girl let go of the CD and rose her hands in surrender.

She watched as Lenna slowly walked to the counter, petting and apparently cooing at the CD. She also watched as the cashier reached for the album, causing Lenna to pull it tight against her bosom protectively before reluctantly handing it over to be scanned. She noticed how Lenna made several gestures as she spoke something frantically. Sarah couldn't quite hear, but the body language screamed "watch it! Be careful!"

The cashier moved to hand Lenna the small plastic bag that contained her new CD and Lenna's hands struck out like snakes, grabbing the bag away and pulling it tight to her chest again, holding it in an unbreakable, yet gentle grasp.

Sarah moved away from the window as Lenna neared the exit of the store.

"So, what'd you say to get that other girl to surrender the CD?" she asked, far too curious to hold back. She had to admit, she was surprised at the lack of violence in the encounter.

Lenna blinked at her, looking incredibly confused. "I didn't say anything to anyone. What other girl?"

Sarah mentally rolled her eyes. Her poor friend. Her habit of blacking out during these instances was the only thing that had gotten her sent to a psychiatrist by the court instead of to prison. Why she'd thought that Lenna would remember this instance, she wasn't sure.

They decided on a drive-through for dinner on their way back to the car. When they got in, Lenna pulled out her _Let's Dance_ album, petting it and cooing at it as she put it safely back inside its case, then popped her new _Heathen_ album into the CD player and hit the random button. If it wasn't a musical, Lenna couldn't listen to a CD without putting it on random. If it wasn't a story, order didn't matter.

Sarah leaned back in her seat, listening to the soothing melodies of the album. While she wasn't quite the David Bowie fan that Lenna was, she had to admit that his music wasn't half bad. His voice wasn't the most gorgeous in the world, but somehow it fit and the man certainly was unique with a wide range of style.

"What do you want?"

"Huh?" Sarah asked, opening her eyes and discovering that they were in the drive through line at McDonald's.

"What do you want?" Lenna asked again.

"Oh. Get me a double cheeseburger and a large soda. We can split a large fries if you want."

"Works for me. What kind of soda?"

"Dr. Pepper." Sarah closed her eyes again as her friend began to order. The song that currently played had her entranced, though she couldn't figure out what it was that held her interest.

"_Open up your heart to me, show me who you are, and I would be your slave."_

Something about it felt oddly familiar and she was having a hell of a time pin pointing it. She mentally shrugged. She'd figure it out later. She felt the car pull forward and she opened her eyes to help Lenna bring the bags into the car. As the window rolled back up, she pulled out her burger and Lenna started to move forward again.

A loud crashing sound startled Sarah and she found it strange that she was unable to see where it was coming from as everything went back. She felt as if she was falling into a deep, never ending pit of pitch blackness, but her fall was slow and relaxing, similar to the way a rocking cradle would lull an infant to sleep.


	2. Two Bumps on the Head

**Author's Note: I want to thank Rhiannonofthemoon for her wonderful betaing skills and I want to thank all readers for enjoying this story and I want to thank those who have sent me reviews. I love reviews. They make me grin.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

"_I would have been your slave, Sarah. All I wanted in return was you. Is that so much to ask?"_

Sarah groaned. "Jareth?" she muttered.

"She's awake," she heard a voice whisper with great relief, then she felt someone grab her hand.

"_Come back to me, Sarah. One wish is all it will take. Make me real, Sarah and I shall give you the world."_

"Jareth?" Sarah pried her eyes open groggily. "How did you—" She stopped when she discovered that it was her father holding her hand and that the Goblin King was no where to be seen.

"Who's Jareth?" her father asked.

Sarah looked at him, then her eyes moved to her stepmother who stood behind him, smiling down at her. They moved back to her father. "N-no one. Just a play we're working on. Must've gone to my head." She paused. "What happened?"

"The doctors say that you guys were hit while making a left. The other car hit dead center on the driver's side."

Sarah moved to sit up quickly, but wound up slowly laying back down again with her hand to her head when the room spun. "Is Lenna okay?" she asked.

Her father glanced over towards Lenna's bed, then looked back at Sarah. "She woke up a few minutes ago. The doctors found minimal damage. They told us that they'd re-check your vital signs after you woke up, but that if you woke today you'd probably be able to check out tomorrow."

Sarah glanced over at Lenna who was looking at her with a wide grin and a tiny wave.

Sarah smiled back, then looked back at her father. "How is the person from the other car?"

"Fine. They were intoxicated and speeding. Got a bump on the head, but that's about it."

Sarah nodded. She looked at her father and Karen's smiling faces and gave them a tired smile. "Hey, I'm feeling a bit sleepy, would you mind if I rested for a bit?"

"Oh, go right ahead. We should be leaving anyway. Toby had to stay with a sitter today so we want to take him out to dinner, let him know that you're alright."

"Tell him I said 'hi'."

"We will." They each gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her to rest well. Then they were gone.

Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"So, this Jareth character, are you playing opposite him?"

Sarah re-opened her eyes and looked at Lenna. "Huh?"

Lenna rolled on her side and propped herself up on her elbow. "Well, you mentioned Jareth being a character in the current play you're working on. Do you play opposite him or is it just a line or two?"

"Ummmm…" Sarah began, not quite sure what to say.

"Well, of course you play opposite him otherwise he wouldn't be on your mind this much. Are you leads?"

Sarah blinked. "No, there's no playing opposite," Sarah said frantically. "It's just a couple of lines I've been trying very hard to get down lately and they both have his name in them."

"Oh. I haven't heard you prac—"

"I've been doing it away from the dorms. In… the park. To get more of a feel for the setting."

Lenna looked at Sarah skeptically, but decided to drop it.

The doctors came in a moment later to check their vitals and told them that they wished to keep them overnight just to be sure, but that they seemed well enough to return home tomorrow.

Once they were out the door, Sarah, who was feeling particularly exhausted, drifted off to sleep. It was a fitful sleep, however, as she found herself back in the ballroom. There were so many people and they all watched her: the women feigning disgust to hide their jealousy, the men licking their lips as they undressed her with their eyes. She felt trapped with no way to escape the thick danger that surrounded her. Then he came.

He led her into a waltz, singing his words of devotion to her in his silky, mesmerizing voice. And she became lost in his eyes again—and she hated every moment of it. He was the last person she wanted to dance with, wanted to trust, but his eyes had her hypnotized. It was almost like not wanting to see the damage caused by an ugly wreck, but being drawn to stare at it anyways.

Finally, she was able to tear her eyes away and she turned and ran as fast as she could. She ran blindly, not sure where the door was, but just needing to get away from him.

She was mocked and grabbed at, her gown destroyed piece by piece as the men went after her like starving wolves. Tears of humiliation filled her eyes as her dignity was stripped away with her clothing.

And no one moved to stop them. The women laughed as the men ripped her dress away and she caught one glance of Jareth watching her, a smirk of arrogance parading itself across his face.


	3. Three Little Truths

**Author's Note: I want to thank Rhiannonofthemoon for her beta reading skills and I want to thank my readers for liking the story. And I also want to thank my reviewers that keep me going. Keep up the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Sarah let out a blood-curdling shriek at the feeling of a pair of hands grabbing her arms and her eyes snapped open to see Lenna's deeply worried face.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Lenna asked.

Sarah sat up and put her hand to her face. She could hear her breathing echoing through the room.

Lenna let out a frustrated sigh. "That's it. I'm going to make us some tea and you're going to sit out in the living room with me and you will not only tell me what this recurring dream of yours is about, but you will tell me who this Jareth person whose name I've been continuously hearing in your sleep since the hospital actually is," she told Sarah with determination.

"I told you—"

"No!" Lenna shouted. "You told me that he's from your play, but not once have I heard his name before this and whether you occasionally rehearse at the park or not, I don't believe that his name is in any line that you're having difficulty remembering."

Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but Lenna continued on.

"I hear you rehearse your lines while you're making dinner, while you're taking a shower… if this line is as important as you claim it to be, you would _think_ that I would have heard it."

"But—"

"No buts. You go ahead and catch your breath. I will see you out front in five minutes." And, with that, Lenna turned and walked out of the room, her robe flaring dramatically behind her.

An image of Jareth walking with his cape flaring menacingly flicked across Sarah's mind and she shook her head to get rid of it.

She laid back in her bed, taking deep breaths, listening as her heart rate slowed beat by beat until it was back to its normal rhythm.

_What could have possibly brought these dreams on?_ The back of her mind knew exactly what had brought them on, but she ignored its input. She sighed and drug herself out of bed, grabbing her robe from the hook on the back of the door and putting it on over her tank top and long pants pajama set, then she shuffled out to the kitchen where Lenna was just starting to steep their tea.

Both Sarah and Lenna leaned against the counter across from one another: Lenna standing with crossed arms and Sarah stifling a yawn.

"So," Lenna began, "first thing's first. Who is Jareth?"

"I told you—"

"I don't quite believe what you told me. Plus you didn't start having these nightmares until you made the first mentioning that I've heard of this Jareth character—"

"That's all he is! He's just a character in my mind!"

Lenna stared at her for a moment. Sarah's eyes were wild and her breathing was irritable.

"The accident," Sarah reminded her. "It might have mixed something up in my head."

Lenna continued to stare and she thought for a moment. "Is this character in your dreams?"

"He has no power over—"

"Clearly he has something over you. Is he in your dreams?" Lenna asked again, annunciating each word.

Sarah sighed. "Yes. But it had to have been the accident. I mean, he's nothing more than fiction. Just a character." By this point, Sarah had turned around and set her elbows on the counter, her forehead resting in her hands.

Lenna turned and pulled the teabags out of the cups, skeptical of Sarah's claims that Jareth was only fiction. Clearly he'd had some effect on her. But she said nothing. She slid Sarah's tea onto the counter next to her and took a sip of her own.

Sarah glanced sideways at the tea before slowly rising and picking it up, both hands wrapped around it.

"Come on," Lenna said gently after a moment. "Let's go to the living room and see if we can't get rid of this stupid nightmare. Summer finals are in a few weeks and we can't have you imitating a zombie when you have important tests to pass."

Sarah nodded and the two girls walked to the couch, sitting on opposite ends from each other. After several minutes of silence, Sarah took a deep breath.

"You'll think I'm crazy," she informed Lenna.

Lenna blinked at her, memories of all of the insane things she'd done for David Bowie albums and thoughts of all of the insane things she swore she'd do just to meet him. "Doubtful."

Sarah sighed. "Well, Jareth is a character, like I told you. Though he's not from anything recent."

Lenna took a sip of tea, listening intently.

"When I was, ohhh… fourteen or so?—my brother was a baby then—I was jealous of the attention he got and so _sick_ of babysitting him. At the time, I was very much into the play, _Labyrinth_. I would dress up and rehearse the role of the heroine at the park all the time. It's about a girl who wishes her brother away to the Goblin King, a powerful ruler who has fallen for her and will do anything that she asks."

"Oooo, sounds interesting."

Sarah nodded. "It made me feel like I was somewhere else. Anyhow, one night, I got frustrated and wished Toby away."

Lenna blinked. "And?"

Sarah shrugged. "The Goblin King took him," she said, taking a sip of tea.

Lenna stared at Sarah with a skeptical expression. "But your brother's still here."

"Well, it's not like I meant it! I didn't even think it would work!"

"But… how?"

"I ran the Goblin King's Labyrinth." She paused. "_Jareth's_ Labyrinth."

"Why haven't you told me about this before?"

"Well, hello! Who would believe me? Plus I was _certain_ that it had all been in my head. Though now I'm not so sure."

"So… what happened while you were… _there_?"

Sarah shrugged again. "I don't really remember. I pushed most of it out of my mind. It was really fantastic, but it had me nervous. So, I guess I must have believed it to be real at first. But when the Goblin King didn't return for vengeance, I assumed it had all been a very wild dream and, over the years, it faded away. Though, now there are a couple of things that I remember surprisingly vividly."

"Tell me."

"Well, the first thing was triggered by that new CD of yours. I didn't connect the two until I awoke, however. Until I saw the Goblin King in my mind. He told me he'd give me the world if I would return." She quickly shook her head. "No, it has to be the accident. Probably just stirred my imagination a little."

"Which song?" Lenna asked, not so disbelieving of this being a reality.

Sarah rubbed her forehead with her free hand. Her head was beginning to hurt. "I don't remember. Something about… a slave, I think? The Goblin King had tried to trick me in the end, had told me that he would be my slave if I would fear him, love him, and do what he said."

"Sounds more like you would've been in the slave position. What about the dream?"

"That brought back the second memory. We were in a ballroom and we danced. It was filled with people. He sang. I don't remember how I got out, but in the dream, I don't trust him and, as I run, the men tear at my dress and the women laugh at my humiliation, my fear of what the men will do."

Lenna stared at Sarah, intrigued, horrified, and deeply concerned. "What happens?"

"Nothing. The last image I see is the King's arrogant smile, then I wake up."


	4. Four Pounds Later

**Author's Note: I would like to thank my readers, my reviewers, and my wonderful beta reader Rhiannonofthemoon. I couldn't do it without you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Sarah laid back down at two in the morning, hoping that talking to Lenna would help keep the nightmare at bay. She wanted so badly to fall asleep and manage to actually stay asleep until _she_ was ready to wake up. She wanted so badly to just forget the stupid dream and never be forced to deal with it again.

She fell asleep rather quickly, but she was only asleep for a moment before she found herself back in the ballroom. However, this time, the dream was different. This time, when the men tore at her and she saw his face watching her with his sick satisfaction, she cried a plea for his help. She couldn't go through it again, even if it was just a dream, even if nothing really happened. The thought was enough.

In a flash, everyone disappeared. Everyone except for her and the Goblin King.

She found herself in the same jeans and poet's shirt that she'd worn through the Labyrinth and she noticed that Jareth's outfit had changed as well. He was wearing the same regal clothes that he had greeted her in all those years before.

"Why are you here?" asked Sarah.

Jareth rose his brows at her. "If I'm not mistaken, that is _exactly_ the question that I should be asking _you_ at this moment as this is _my_ kingdom."

"No, this is _my_ mind. Why have you invaded my thoughts?"

And at that precise moment Sarah's eyes lazily opened and her dream faded away. She tried to go back to sleep, but after about thirty minutes of this Sarah came to the annoying realization that her efforts were useless and she violently threw her blankets aside and got up.

She stormed out of her room and through the living room, hardly noticing Lenna, who was lounging on the couch reading a magazine with David Bowie on the front cover, and landed herself at the fridge where she grabbed a three-week-old large piece of chocolate cake and sat at the table, digging into it grumpily.

A few bites later, Lenna walked into the dining area and pulled out a chair next to Sarah, plopping into it and resting her chin on her hand. "Bad morning?" she asked.

Sarah stopped eating for a moment and looked over at Lenna.

Lenna made a gesture to the cake that sat in front of Sarah.

Sarah looked back at the cake. Usually such decadent foods weren't consumed by Sarah until after dinner. She let out a grunt in response as she returned to her previous task of devouring the cake.

Lenna gutsily reached forward and took the cake away.

Sarah gawked at her, not quite sure how to react.

"Spill," Lenna commanded.

Sarah sighed as she swallowed her current bite. "I had that stupid dream again," she informed Lenna.

Lenna's face began to fall, but then Sarah continued.

"Only this time it was different."

Lenna's brow furrowed. "Different how?"

"This time I asked him to save me. Everyone but him and me vanished. I asked him why he keeps invading my thoughts."

"And?" Lenna asked after an unusually long pause.

"And that's when I woke up. The _one_ time I wake up when _I'm_ ready just _had_ to be the one time I wanted to stay asleep to get the answers I need."

With that, she took the cake back and went back to eating.

Lenna watched her in thought for several minutes. "Perhaps you should make the wish," Lenna finally suggested.

Sarah flung her fork down onto her now-empty plate and turned to Lenna. "Are you _insane_?!" she shouted.

"Well, he did make the offer. Clearly he wants to speak with you."

"He's just a character! Fiction! He can speak in my dreams just fine! What does he need a wish for?!"

Lenna smirked. "If he was truly nothing more than just a character, you wouldn't be this worked up about it."

Sarah shot a death glare at Lenna. However, deep in the dark recesses of her mind, she knew that Lenna had made a valid point. Fairy tale characters, villain or not, don't get people worked up like this.

Lenna shrugged as she moved to rise. "If I were you, I'd make the wish. Obviously he wants to occupy more than your dreams for this discussion."

Sarah sat in nervous mulling for a moment. "But what if he doesn't come?"

Lenna shrugged again. "At least you'll be able to say that you gave it a shot, right?"


	5. Five Eternities too Soon

**Author's Note: Thanks again to all readers, reviewers, and Rhiannonofthemoon for helping to make my writing worth reading.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

"I wish the Goblin King would—" Would what? Come by for a chat? Materialize in her dorm? Sarah shuddered. She let out a sigh of frustration. "I wish he would finish this conversation of his so I can get back to my life!"

Nothing happened.

"There, I tired," said Sarah. "I have class in an hour," she continued and turned to walk to the bathroom.

Lenna stood in thought, tsking as Sarah started her shower.

When Sarah opened the bathroom door wrapped in her towel, Lenna was standing there, looking at her.

"I need to get dressed," Sarah said irritably.

Lenna moved aside to let Sarah pass, but she then followed closely behind, chattering her thoughts about Sarah's attempted wish.

"What did you say when you wished Toby away?"

Sarah sighed again. "Can we talk about his later?" she asked as she stepped into her room, closing the door behind her.

"No, because later you'll come up with some other excuse."

"Lenna, I need to get ready for class. I'm pressed for time here."

Lenna crossed her arms. "Multitask, then, Sarah. I've seen you do it countless times in the past."

Lenna heard Sarah's muffled shriek through the door and she smirked victoriously.

"I said 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now," she informed Lenna, not really thinking about the possible consequences until she received no response. She paused in tucking her poet's shirt into her jeans for a moment as it began to sink in. "Oh, no," she muttered as she rushed to finish tucking in her shirt and buttoning her five-button Bongo pants.

She darted across the room and reached for the door knob. "How _stupid_ could I have been she asked herself furiously as she opened the door to find no Lenna.

An owl tapped at her bedroom window and she turned to look at it curiously. She hadn't seen an owl in this area before.

Then the owl burst through the window and, as Sarah shied away in shock, he transformed.

Sarah slowly lowered her arm and took in the sight, from the bottoms of his boots to his proud posture to his arrogant smirk of evil. She glared daggers in his direction, ignoring the fluttering in her stomach. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? I want her back right now," she said angrily.

His smirk grew. "Hello, Sarah. It's been a while."

Her glare worsened as she continued her attempts at covering up her fear. She refused to give him the satisfaction. "I wasn't even making a wish! It was just a stupid story!"

"Oh," Jareth replied, raising his eyebrows, "you weren't? In such a rush and you didn't wish for the tiniest moment that she would simply… vanish?" he taunted.

Sarah seethed. "Bring her back," she said through clenched teeth.

The Goblin King tsked. "So demanding," he said mockingly.

Sarah sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. What had she been thinking? He was a king. A big-headed, self-absorbed, spoiled rotten king at that. Definitely not the type to be intimidated.

Sarah looked back up at him.

He stared haughtily down at her.

She began to feel even more nervous, but she set her arms firmly at her side, still refusing to show it. However, she did decide to switch from her ill-attempted intimidation to a bargain. "Please bring her back. I'll do anything," she forced out.

Jareth's brows rose with interest. "Anything? You may want to think over the meaning of that before making such a bold bargain."

Sarah gulped, then licked her lips. "I know what that might entail. But I'd rather do anything in the world, no matter how demeaning it may be, than to allow you to take her away."

She watched his expression turn dark with consideration and she fought the urge to squirm at the thoughts he could be having. She tried not to think of what she had just done.

Jareth snapped his fingers and Lenna appeared next to Sarah.

Sarah turned to Lenna. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen."

But Lenna didn't answer. Instead, she stared drop-jawed at the man who was standing by the window.

"Oh, my gawd, Sarah," she said.

Sarah blinked.

"You are the _best_!" Lenna hugged her.

Sarah stood there, stunned and a bit confused. "I wished you away," she reminded Lenna.

Lenna pulled back. "No, you didn't. But how did you get him to come out here?!"

Sarah wasn't sure what to say.

"By the way, Mr. Bowie—I mean Jones—I _love_ the outfit. Who's the new character?"

Jareth snapped his fingers again and both Sarah and hisself vanished.

Lenna blinked as what had just happened sunk in.

"Crap," she breathed. That most certainly hadn't been David Bowie. A twinge of disappointment tried to make itself known to her, but she ignored it.

Not only had the man _not_ been David Bowie, but he'd taken Sarah away as well. And after seeing all that fancy get-up of his, she had a sinking feeling that he was the Goblin King that Sarah had told her about. The Goblin King that she, herself, knew so little about.

She ran to the phone, fumbling it for a moment as she looked on their list of teachers with their phone numbers. She dialed in Sarah's first teacher for the day's number and put the phone to her ear, waiting for an answer.


	6. Six Handy Items

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Jareth had transported Sarah directly from her dorm to a room that she had never seen before- of course, this was hardly a surprise to her as she'd only seen a tiny bit of the castle.

This room had a bed, a small vanity, and a small closet. There was a tiny dresser that doubled as a night table. The walls were stone and had torches attached to them, each of them burning, giving off the slightest amount of heat along with a faint glow that was hardly noticeable against the light that filtered through the window. The window looked out over the junkyard, which caused a shiver to go down Sarah's spine.

She glanced around a bit more to find that the room also included a doorway leading to small private bathroom and, as she turned to look behind her, she saw Jareth there and jumped. She looked at him leerily, but fought the urge to back away. She did, however, allow her eyes to flick to the side, and she noticed that there was a door to the room and cringed inside at the fact that it was closed. She could only pray there were no locks.

"This will be your room," Jareth informed her. "Your underclothes are in your night table, and your dresses are in the closet." He then, to Sarah's relieved shock, turned to leave. She groaned mentally when she remembered that she had questions for him and that her stubborn side wouldn't be willing to let him leave without at least trying for some answers.

He had just opened the door when Sarah spoke. "At least tell me why you've been haunting me."

He stopped and stood as still as stone for what felt like eternity before slowly turning around.

She tensed at his ice cold expression.

"That was a rather demanding tone for a commoner such as yourself to use towards me," he said as he slowly advanced.

Sarah stood her ground.

"You may be something special back in that pitiful world of yours, but here you are on the bottom rung. You have no power here, Sarah, and I will not have you ordering me around. _If_ I choose to tell you why I have been blessing you with my presence, I will do so when I choose and _not_ at your request. Now, if you'll excuse me," he began to finish in a demeaning tone, "I have some important matters to attend to." And, with that, he walked out the door, letting it shut rather loudly behind him.

Sarah sunk onto her bed and shivered at the chilled wind that came through the open window. She got up to close the window only to find that all it was was an arc-shaped hole in the wall with no shutters of any kind. There weren't even attachments for shutters. She sighed.

She took another glance around the room, confirming its lifelessness.

She grabbed the blanket off the bed and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders, then curled up on her bed and lay there, thinking.

She knew that her bargain _had_ been rather gutsy, and she wondered if it may have been a bit idiotic on top of it. She'd said she'd do anything and, especially after his warning about such an offer, she wondered what exactly the word _'anything'_ had meant to the Goblin King.


	7. The Fortune of Chapter Seven

**Author's Note: I want to thank all of the same people again. I've loved the reviews and it makes me happy to have readers. And thank you Rhiannonofthemoon for making the lovelies of this story possible!**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Lenna drove down the road to Sarah's parents' place. She needed to learn more about this Goblin King that Sarah had mentioned so she could save her friend. The wish had been meant to take the _dreams_ away, not _Sarah_.

She had searched Sarah's entire room for this "Labyrinith" script, but it hadn't turned up. After a few minutes of thought, she had understood the possible reason why: Sarah hadn't been happy with the Goblin King. She had blocked the entire thing from her memory after a time, so what on Earth would have made her want to keep the book that had started it all out in the open in the immediate aftermath of the whole situation?

_Life On Mars_ began to play on Lenna's CD player, so she cranked up the volume past its normal loudness. _Life On Mars_ had been one of her favorites ever since she'd first heard it, though she couldn't for the life of her pinpoint the exact reason. When she pulled onto the freeway, she rolled down her windows and cranked it up even more to let the world hear one of the best songs ever created.

She exited the freeway about forty minutes later and pulled into a quiet neighborhood. Or, at least, what had been a quiet neighborhood before Lenna's still-blaring car had decided to cruise through.

She pulled into the Williams' driveway and shut off the car. She took a deep breath. They'd ask about Sarah. She had to be convincing. She really didn't want to worry them, though, and that was where coming up with a believable story got tricky. She mulled it over for a few minutes, came up with a story that had her satisfied, then stepped out of the car and walked up to the front door.

After giving the door a good, cheerful knock, Lenna stepped back, clasped her hands behind her back, and put on a care free, chipper smile.

Karen answered the door, and a look of surprise flickered across her face before she smiled. "Hello, Lenna."

"Hi, Mrs. Williams," Lenna replied as she was shown in.

Karen poked her head out the door before closing it. She gave Lenna a puzzled look. "Where's Sarah?"

Lenna shrugged. "She's not feeling well today."

"Not feeling well?" chimed in Robert as he trotted down the stairs.

Lenna noded. "Don't worry, though. She'll be fine."

"What does she have?" Karen asked.

Lenna raised her hand dissmissively. "Oh, she's just been really tired, and she's had a sore throat. I picked up a ton of Thera-Flu today and made her stay in bed."

"I hope she gets better before opening night," Robert said.

At that moment, Toby raced into the foyer. "Lenna!!!" he called out as he ran to her.

"Woah, buddy," she said, stepping back. She had to play it all the way through. "Your sister's not feeling well, and I don't want to get any icky germs on you." Her guilt began to grow about tricking them like this. She really hated to lie to them, but she knew that Sarah would kill her if she tried to make them believe that she'd gone to some Labyrinth with a Goblin King. Plus then they'd have both girls admitted to a mental institution.

"Where is she?" he asked, a little disappointed.

"She's at our dorm. I told her she had to rest to get better."

"Awww," Toby said, his shoulders dropping as he looked at his feet.

"But don't worry, we'll be sure to visit as soon as she's all better."

"Okay," Toby said, trying to sound happy, but not doing a very good job of it.

"Would you like to come in? I can get you something to drink," Karen said pleasantly.

"Oh, no, thank you. Actually, I came by to pick something up for Sarah. She recently mentioned a book that she loved when she was younger, and she's so happy when she talks about it that I thought I'd see if you guys still have it here."

"Karen, what was that play that Sarah used to recite all the time back when Toby was a baby?" Robert asked after he thought for a moment.

Karen looked up thoughtfully, her hand coming to her chin. "I don't remember the name, but I do remember it being a red, leather-bound book," she said, her hands coming down as she trotted up to Sarah's old room.

Ten minutes later, she trotted back down. "Is this it?" she asked, handing the little red book to Lenna.

Lenna looked over the old book and flipped through its yellowing pages, a feeling of great excitement running through her. Her gaze ran over the word _LABYRINTH_, its golden letters filled with secrets and mystery. She smiled and looked back up at Karen and Robert. "Yes, this is it. Thanks!"

"You're very welcome," Karen said as they showed her out.

"Well, I'll see you all at Sarah's play! Bye, Toby!"

"Bye," Toby replied as they all gave a wave, then went back inside.


	8. Eight Watchful Hours

**Author's Note: Another big thanks to my readers, reviewers, and Rhiannonofthemoon for their dedication.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Jareth lounged in his deserted throne room, the torches giving off a dim light that combined with the moonlight shining through the windows. He stared intently into one of his crystals, watching Sarah toss and turn in a particularly fitful sleep.

He'd made certain that food had been left at her door periodically throughout the day, but she had eaten close to none of it, consuming only enough to keep her alive for the day, though Jareth expected her health to take a dive for the worst if she continued these poor eating habits.

His face remained emotionless as he watched Sarah wake for the fifth time that night. He watched her deliver a few good punches to her feather pillows before getting up to stalk around the room. He watched as she yelled, screaming her frustrations about her dreams, her fears of the possible results of their bargain, and her anger towards him. This anger got his name paired with a number of rather colorful words, something he would normally listen in on in amusement. However, amusement wasn't an emotion he'd felt at all lately.

He watched as her violent hand movements annunciated her anger and frustration. And then, just before she dropped back onto her bed in sobs, he heard three words that he hadn't heard her utter for years. In fact, the last time he'd heard these words spoken by her was when she had been running his Labyrinth: _"It's not fair!"_

You see, he had continued to watch her, even after she had denied him in his one moment of weakness; in the bargain that he'd been sure no girl could ever turn down.

But she had. She'd chosen her mundane, boring life over her fantastic dreams, and he couldn't for all of the Underground figure out why. After all that he had done for her, had her trust in him truly been so little?

He let out a weary sigh as he watched her weep into her pillow, drenching the fabric of its case and, undoubtedly, the fluffy cushion that lay within it.

He rose and vanished, transporting himself into her room. He couldn't have his one chance at being freed from that damned curse die of starvation and lack of sleep.

When he arrived beside her bed, he watched her for a moment more before allowing a smirk to stretch across his lips. "I've worked so hard to keep you comfortable, and still you believe things to be miserable," he said with a bit more amusement in his voice than seemed normal.

Sarah sat up and turned to face him. He was standing awfully close. She gulped.

"I send you food," he continued, "and you refuse to eat it as if you expected to eat something fancy, as if you were royalty. I leave you in a nice room, and you cry as if you have been put in a cell."

"I may as well have been," she replied sharply.

He leaned closer until they were nearly nose to nose. "Do not forget," he said harshly, "_you_ are the one who wished _yourself_ here in place of your friend. And there is no reason you should be blaming _me_ for your current position when all I have done is grant your wishes."

She stared at him, uncertain as to how she should respond.

"Ungrateful filth," he sneered, then turned to walk out.

Sarah gulped again, wondering if she should trust him like she had in the dream; wondering if that would make things any better. After a moment, she found her voice. "I can't sleep. I keep having this damned nightmare that I had back in the dorm, and I'm so terrified," she said, silent tears welling in her eyes as she hoped that her decision to be fully honest with this arrogant, self absorbed King wasn't another huge mistake.

He turned around to face her again, and he took in the exhaustion in her eyes, along with the fear that she had just previously mentioned. "Thank you for reminding me," he said, striding over to the head of her bed and grabbing the pillow that she had moistened with her previous crying spell. "I need to get this to the cleaners immediately," he informed her in irritation. "You've probably already got it molding." He then flicked his wrist and, as the pillow vanished, a cup filled with a green liquid appeared. He sprinkled a powder into the concoction, then handed it to her. "Drink this, it should help you sleep. I can't have you slumping around throughout the day."

Sarah took a sip and, just as he turned to go, she gained the guts to ask him the one question that had been nagging her since her arrival. Mind you, she was aware that she had asked this question before to gain no answer, but she wondered if she had perhaps asked it in the wrong way.

"Are you planning to... you know..." she began as he was turning to leave again, but she was unable to bring herself to say the actual words.

Jareth turned around with a raised eyebrow, clearly curious as to what she was trying to ask. "To what?" he asked, and his voice sounded dark, dangerous.

Sarah gulped again, but she managed to keep her body from shaking. "To..." She moved her hands, trying to find another word, any other way of saying it, "To... _you know_!" she finally shouted. "You know _exactly_ what I'm thinking, exactly what I'm afraid of!"

Jareth looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "I haven't a clue what you are talking about," he informed her, equally as dark. "I'd never bother wasting my time reading a mind as simple as yours." He then turned and walked out the door, but was sure to add, "Embarrassing enough to have her residing here. Imagine how humiliating it would be if I were to be foolish enough to touch that filth."

Once back in his throne room, he lounged with more ease. He flicked his wrist, producing a crystal, and he watched as Sarah drank the concoction he had given her. Deep down inside, he was pleased that she would be able to get a good night's sleep, but he chalked it up to simply being glad because, with her asleep, he'd be able to rest himself.

But he didn't rest. Instead he sat in the throne room, watching her sleep, planning out ways to tell her what he needed her here for without actually _telling _her.


	9. Nine Useful Ditzes

**Hello, faithful readers! I want to thank you all for sticking with this story and I also want to thank everyone who has sent a review. They brighten my days. =) I also want to give Rhiannonofthemoon another enormous thanks for betaing my story.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

Lenna sat against her headboard, having just finished reading Labyrinth. It hadn't told her as much about this Goblin King fellow as she would have liked to learn, which was a disappointment. She shrugged it off, though. She guessed she'd just have to learn as she went along in her planned attempt to save Sarah. She supposed she was lucky it was a man she would be going up against. That fact should make things a bit simpler.

She rose from her bed and tore off her clothes, going to her closet. She grabbed a red and black corset top and a sinfully short red and black plaid skirt and set them on her bed. She went to her dresser and pulled out a pair of red tights. She went through the intircate process of pulling the tights on, then she sucked in her stomach and put the corset top on. Finally, she completed the ensemble with the skirt.

She found a fancy black lace choker with some red stones attached to it and fastened it around her neck, then went to get her black, fingersess opera gloves.

Once finished pulling her knee-high black boots on, she walked over to the window, taking on a rather intimidating pose of her own, complete with a smirk. She was gonna have fun with this.

And just as she opened her mouth to make the wish, she realized that she had no clue what to say. She couldn't wish herself away. That wouldn't work. She would have to wish a person away. She thought for a moment. There was that immature snob who was constantly spreading rumors about her. Nasty rumors. An evil grin spread across her face. According to the story, the Goblin King would make the girl a goblin.

Then she frowned, a realization crossing her mind. If she were to wish the snob away, it would be the snob that she would be running for and not Sarah. She sighed in frustration at this. Damnit, why the hell had Sarah switched places with her?

She mulled it over for a few more minutes. Perhaps she could wish someone away and then strike a deal up with the Goblin King. Perhaps trade someone for Sarah. A devious grin spread across her face. She could trade the snob for Sarah. She sighed. Maybe not. No matter how awful this Goblin King was, she wasn't going to force him to put up with that girl. She supposed it was her own cross to bear and she felt it wrong to drop it on someone else.

Her mind began to ponder into the matter further. Perhaps she could upset the snob into wishing her away. Then again, would the snob really believe in all of this? Did the snob even have room enough in her brain for all of this, what with her constant inhalation of hairspray? It would, however, never hurt to try. Then she could defeat the Goblin King and bring Sarah home!

But what if she got turned into a goblin herself? She thought about this for a minute or two, coming to the conclusion that she was too cunning and too mentally unstable for the Goblin King to want to turn her into a goblin.

Satisfied with her plan, she went in search of the snob and was pleased when it didn't take her much effort to find her. She mentally beamed, but was sure to keep it inside. On the outside, she looked as if she'd caught the plague. She stumbled up to Christy the bitch and her group of popular girls, all of whom were still stuck in high schooler mode as far as maturity went, and feigned a terrible coughing fit, splattering saliva all over them.

"Like, ew. Get out of here, you little freak. We don't need your cooties," said Christy.

"I just wanted to tell everyone about-" back into the coughing fit she went for a moment- "these really awesome critters I met by taking a double dose of Thera-Flu."

The girls all rolled their eyes and shot the worst glares in Lenna's direction.

"Considering your lack of taste, I like totally never want to hear about your... critters."

The girls giggled.

"They're these little tiny goblins and they-" she threw in a horrible, dripping, fake sneeze- "Sorry. They've been keeping me company through this horrible illness. They even make tea!"

Christy sighed. "Ugh. Lenna, I like totally wish your stupid little goblins would come and take you away like right now. That way I wouldn't have to-" She stopped right there, shocked that Lenna had vanished into thin air. "Dude, like what the hell was she on? Did I just see what I think I saw?"

The other girls nodded, equally shocked.

"Maybe we'd better hit the showers before it takes much more effect on us."

The other girls concurred and just as they turned to go to the dorms, Jareth appeared right in front of them.

"Like, who are you?"

Jareth smirked. "You ought to know as you're the one who made the wish," he said.

"Oh, totally, like thank you for taking that sick little freak away, but we're totally finished hallucinating now, so like go back to the eighties or wherever you came from," Christy replied, and they all stepped nervously around him. This catching of Lenna's high was worse than they'd thought.

Jareth, annoyed at the fact that he now had to deal with Sarah's friend being around the castle and too stressed and exhausted to feel in the mood for causing his usual mischief, vanished back to his castle where he glared down at Lenna, who was lying in the pit in his throne room, with very livid eyes.


	10. Ten in the Morning

**Author's Note: Another huge thanks to my faithful readers and my reviewers and an even bigger thanks to Rhiannonofthemoon.**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!! **

"You must think you're awfully clever, finding a way to get yourself here," Jareth said, his voice like ice.

Lenna rushed to stand up and step out of the pit, a menacing smile playing on her lips as she stood tall, her chin raised in defiance. "Where is Sarah?"

Jareth stepped closer to Lenna, a small part of him surprised when she didn't back up as most did the first time he made that intimidating step, but he paid it no heed as he looked down at her dangerously. "And I suppose you thought you'd save her once you got here," he said mockingly.

"And I will," Lenna replied in confidence. "I'll save her, and I'll knock your ego down several notches when I defeat you."

Jareth couldn't help but let out a dark laugh.

Lenna's eyes narrowed.

"You weren't the one who wished her away. She gave herself to save you. She has closed all doors of escape."

Lenna stared at him, not quite sure what to say.

"And now you've gone and gotten yourself wished away by a girl who I very much doubt will try to get you back." He watched as she tried to find herself a new way out, his smirk growing as hers lessened ever the slightest.

Then Lenna's gaze snapped directly into his eyes, every ounce of confidence radiating off of her again. "What about the loophole?" she asked smugly.

Jareth laughed almost maniacally before shooting her an expression of certainty. "There are never loopholes where I am concerned."

Lenna shrugged and turned around to wander the throne room carelessly. "That's what you think," she said.

Jareth watched her as she explored the room. He knew for a fact that there were no loopholes, but he knew that this girl would be a problem nonetheless. She clearly wasn't simple minded like children and goblins. She had an intellect and a wit about her. If anyone could find a way out, he was certain it would be her and he was even more certain that she, much like him, always got exactly what she wanted.

His mind flicked back to that dreadful night years ago, and he was quick to bring his focus back to the present as he made a mental correction. He _almost_ always got what he wanted. He was curious as to whether or not those rare occasions of disappointment popped up for her as well. And he wondered if this might play to his advantage.

He sighed as he sat back down in his throne, contemplating. He wondered if there might be a way to use Lenna to help him to get Sarah's assistance. He frowned as he watched her stare at one of the candles. No, he had a feeling she wouldn't be an ounce of help.

He let out a sigh and flicked his wrist, transporting himself to the quiet solitude of his library. She could fend for herself in the castle. She was far too old and far too focused on her friend-or so he wished to tell himself- for him to worry about what damage she might leave in his castle when left unattended.

And that's when the best idea in the Underground hit him. An evil smirk spread across his face, and he flicked his wrist to vanish, reappearing in Sarah's room.

Sarah ignored his presence, more interested in looking at the junkyard than at the Goblin King.

"Your friend has arrived," he said.

Sarah looked over at him, glaring. His tone had been menacing, as usual. "That's impossible," she informed him confidently.

Jareth leaned against the wall and tugged at his gloves nonchalantly. "Oh, I beg to differ, precious. Your friend is a very smart girl, and she managed to get herself wished here by some silly mortal," he informed her, forming a crystal and rolling it between his hands.

When Sarah saw the crystal stop abruptly out of the corner of her eye, she looked directly into it to see her friend's image, and her jaw dropped. Lenna was sitting in the pit in the throne room, laughing as she played with the goblins.

"I'll make a deal with you, my pet," he said. "I won't hurt her. In fact, I'll even give her the option of whether to stay or go. But in return, I will need you to become a part of my kingdom. One of my doting subjects."


	11. After Only Eleven Minutes Alone

**Author's Note: Another thanks to my doting fans and reviewers. And a great thanks to Rhiannonofthemoon for working her beta reading magic again!**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own any of the characters of Labyrinth. Lenna is mine, as well as any other character I may come up with throughout the story. Please don't sue me for playing with the characters! I'll put them back when I'm done!!**

Sarah stared at the image in the crystal, her mouth agape. She wasn't sure whether to be livid with Lenna for getting herself caught in this mess after she had given herself to save her or whether to be appreciative for Lenna's valiant, though senseless, attempt to rescue her.

Jareth's smile of victory grew as he watched Sarah battle herself internally. She hadn't been nearly as difficult for him to deal with as she had been when she had run his Labyrinth years before, as if she had fully accepted that she owed him for setting Lenna free in the first place. And, obviously, she would give anything to set her free again.

She'd already promised him anything he wished, so she could be kept within his hold for eternity. However, he was aware that he wouldn't get what he truly needed from her if she was kept prisoner.

Sarah let out a sigh and, feeling her head spin at this new discovery, she backed up and sat on the bed, putting her head in her hands.

"You would be free to go anywhere in the kingdom you would like," he informed her. "And you would be ruled by the greatest ruler there ever was," he continued, suddenly behind her, speaking into her ear.

His hot breath annoyed her and she grew tense with anger at his words. She spun on him, shooting him a glare that might bring death to a mortal man.

"I've already said I'd give anything to save her. If you must rule me, oh almighty king," she said, the words oozing with sarcasm and disdain, "why don't you just exercise your rights to use my promise?"

Jareth smirked at her and leaned in, mere millimeters from her face. "You, my precious thing, are already under my authority as my prisoner. I have no way of making you a loyal resident without your agreement," he said as if she should have already known this. "You may not think highly of me as a ruler, but I am most certainly not foolish enough to set a prisoner free in my lands to corrupt my people."

He raised the crystal in front of her eyes once more. "Will you be my subject or have I earned myself a new goblin?"

Sarah watched Lenna in the crystal and bit her lip. It was a huge decision to make, though she supposed that she had at least been told what she would be giving up this time. She was about to answer when she saw Lenna stride over to one of the candles lining the walls. Sarah's brow furrowed and she felt a flutter of hope when Lenna "accidentally" knocked the candle to the floor and, "gracelessly" tripping over it several times, eventually kicked it into the pit in the center of the room.

Sarah's eyebrows rose as she watched the candle's small flame catch onto a blanket. It then traveled along the blanket to catch fire to a piece of straw and it continued this form of travel until the entire room was ablaze, Jareth's throne included. Sarah's eyes rose to meet Jareth's. She gave a smirk of her own and watched question enter his previously confident expression.

Jareth, who had been watching Sarah's face intently until now, glanced down at the crystal. His jaw set and he swiftly stood.

"We will finish this arrangement later," he said tonelessly, "providing she is still here for you to save."

The anger in his voice sent chills down Sarah's spine.


	12. Just Tweleve Stressballs Short

**Author's Note: A great thanks to all of my faithful readers and reviewers. You guys make this completely worth while. And a huge thanks to my beta reader, Rhiannonofthemoon. Couldn't do it without you!**

**Disclaimer: Lenna's the only one that belongs to me. Please don't sue me for playing with the rest.**

Lenna's expression feigned innocence as Jareth appeared in the room, immediately extinguishing the fire. His gaze of indescribable fury bore heavily down upon her.

Lenna stared defiantly at him. They stayed like that for a very long moment.

"So, you thought setting my palace on fire to be a brilliant idea." The chill in his voice struck Lenna to the bone, but she refused to show it.

"I won't allow her to be trapped here by the likes of you," she stated.

"She's already given herself to my command by saving you once. She was about to become one of my subjects, which would have gotten her out of my imprisonment."

"How is being trapped in a larger cage not imprisonment?!" Lenna shouted, exasperated. "She doesn't want to be here! Can't you push aside your vengeance and just let her go? She won fair and square and here you are, longing to cover up your bruised ego so badly that, years later, you decide to drag her back to this hell hole as punishment!"

Jareth turned his back on her. If the damned child only knew. He would get his Sarah one way or another and he hoped that when the brat learned of his true motives, her foot would be shoved so far down her throat that she would choke.

He snapped his fingers, throwing the girl into an oubliette. The silence that followed made his head feel ready to explode. He turned around to find the goblins all staring at him, suddenly quiet and motionless. He hadn't even realized that they'd been running about in circles and screaming in fear of the fire until now.

"Away," he said warily, dropping into his throne, the bridge of his nose being rubbed by his gloved fingertips.

When no one moved, he glanced up, moving only his hard-as-steel eyes. "Now!" he barked and they all scattered out of the room.

Jareth sighed. Now that he was in solitude, his mind was free to wander. He wanted so badly to keep his current form permanently. He damned the witch who had cast the spell because of his arrogance and selfishness. Sure, he'd gotten used to being an owl when a wish wasn't being made and his Labyrinth wasn't being run. But he hated it. He hated that his occasional humanoid self had to be as cruel as he had been before the curse just to keep control of his people. He hated that everyone saw him as a wicked enemy, that it had taken Sarah getting so close to defeating him for him to be able to make desperate pleas.

This turned his anger to Sarah, who, being the foolish, blinded girl that she was, had thrown it back in his face. He had offered to be her slave! What more could a girl want? But no. Because he'd been imagined by her as he was, he couldn't be anything other than her enemy. She didn't see his other side.

"What other side?" a voice chimed.

He glared up to see the witch standing before him and immediately went into a fit of rage, lunging at her.

With the flick of her wrist, she threw him to the floor, her magic binding him to the warm stone that still held heat from the fire.

She tsked. "That is what got you in this predicament to begin with," she chided. She stood there watching him intently, one arm across her stomach, propping the other as she laid a delicate finger across her chin the rest of her hand balled into a fist beneath it. "You haven't changed a bit and you expect her to love you," she said after a moment of thought. "Your ego truly is unmatchable."

Jareth fought the invisible restraints, but to no avail. "It's your damned curse that keeps me this way," he shouted. "I've had to remain stern with my people to keep them from destroying their home because in a nearly constant owl form I have no control."

"And what of Sarah?"

Jareth took a very deep breath, his blood boiling. "She imagines me that way. I was the villain in her silly book and she sees me as nothing more."

"Hm. Well, I suppose she should expect nothing different. Oberon knows that I wouldn't." And, with that, she vanished.

His bindings gone, Jareth rose and, in his fury, kicked a passing chicken. He then fell into his throne, his anger burning like a wildfire.


	13. Lenna's Lucky Thirteen

**All of your reading and reviewing is so appreciated. It gives me a little extra incentive to keep on writing. Keep up the great work, readers!!! Major thanks to rhiannonofthemoon for her wonderful beta reading. This would have a number of errors without her!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Lenna and Xaiden. I'll put the rest back when I'm done. **

Lenna sat on the floor of the oubliette, scanning it with her intent green eyes. There were no holes, save for the one in the ceiling that let in enough light to make out shapes by, but it looked a bit too high to reach. Not to mention the fact that it was covered by a grate.

Lenna grinned. A puzzle. She loved puzzles. She set forth, feeling along the walls. The walls were a cool, rough stone and they were exactly the same all the way around. It wasn't until she tripped that she found the illusion. She peered down at the ground that now sat below her, squinting. She could barely make out the lines of a small, arc-shaped raise in the ground. She grabbed at it with her fingers and noticed that, unlike the rest of the ground, which was packed with dirt, this was made of wood.

Realizing what this could mean, she quickly scooted off of it, digging her fingers into its sides and raising it, leaning it against the wall where it immediately attached itself.

She tugged at the sides of the door, but it refused to budge. Finally, sick of rubbing her fingertips raw, she stood, stepped back, and gave it a good, hard kick.

The door fell through what used to be the wall, revealing an opening, the path into which was quickly blocked by falling cleaning supplies.

A little weirded out, Lenna stepped forward, carefully nudging the stuff out of her way with the toe of her boot, and crouched down to crawl through the door.

"Whew," she let out with relief when she got several feet away from the door, standing up and brushing off her clothes. She wasn't sure why, but, for some reason, this felt like the kind of place that would have nipping cleaning supplies. Apparently, the cleaning supplies were harmless, which was clear to her now that she'd crawled through them without a single scratch. But she hadn't known that before. A girl could never be too careful, she'd always felt.

Noticing that she was now staring straight at a wall, she turned around to face the opening she had just crawled through to find it no longer there. She blinked. "Expect the unexpected," she said to herself and began to look around.

She found that she was in what appeared to be a tunnel. It was a spacious tunnel with vaulted ceilings. The only problem she had with the tunnel, besides its rather dim lighting, was the fact that she wasn't sure whether to turn left or right. She looked to her left, then to her right. She did this a few times before deciding to go left, figuring she could always turn around if left proved to be wrong.

She walked slowly through the tunnel, looking around her, taking in her surroundings. The poor lighting was produced by torches that were scattered along the walls. She was able to make out enough to avoid tripping or running into anything. She saw the occasional cluttering of stones, but nothing major had popped up just yet.

After what had felt like forever, but had probably only been about twenty minutes or so, Lenna came to a T in the path. Not really in the mood for complex decision making at the moment, she figured she'd go right since she'd chosen left last time.

Just after she made her turn, she stopped. There was a pudgy little green goblin with a tuft of white hair sticking out of the top of his head re-lighting the few torches that had burned out. She frowned.

The goblin was having a heck of a time completing the task. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach the torch with his flame stick.

Lenna watched as he tried standing on the tips of his toes and jumping up and down to no avail. Feeling sorry for the poor little bugger and knowing that it would only take a second, she walked over to him. "Here," she said, reaching for the stick. "Let me help."

"No," the goblin said, pulling the stick away quickly and continuing to try to light the torch.

"No?" she asked in surprise, her hands going to her hips. "Don't you want to get this one out of the way and move on to the next? I can see that it's a bit high up for you."

"I lit the other ones," he grunted. "I can light this one, too."

"Whatever," Lenna replied, putting her hands up to brush off the matter as she turned to walk away. The goblins in the castle had been far more pleasant.

A few steps later, she heard a voice and looked around to find that it was coming from her right. She turned to find a deep, dark alcove dug into the wall and she slowly walked into it. Part of her mind begged her to turn around and finish the maze, but the other part of her mind reminded the first part that she hadn't been given any time limit. The first part of her mind reminded her of Jareth's attempts to keep Sarah trapped forever as a subject. Then the second part of her mind reminded her that Sarah was already trapped forever as a prisoner, that that's what she was trying to save her from. How much harder could it really be to save her from being his subject?

It was pitch black in the alcove. She couldn't see a thing and it felt like there was no end. She put her hands out in front of her, feeling the air around her as she inched farther and farther into the darkness. As she shifted her foot forward another inch or two, her foot slipped. The back half managed to catch on something, remaining on the ground, but the rest of her foot was in mid air.

In her haste to back up and with the instability the heels on her boots gave her in this type of situation, she slipped again, this time falling. She leaned toward the tunnel she had come from and managed to land mostly on solid ground with an "oof". She remained there for a moment, catching her breath and coming down from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Hello?" she heard echo from behind her as she laid there panting. She slowed her breathing for a moment, turning her head to listen.

"Is anyone up there?" came the voice.

She sat up. Someone was caught down there. She was just about ready to ignore the voice and get on with her search for the castle she'd been cast from. This part of the tunnel seemed far too dangerous for any sensible person to remain in. But the tiny voice in her head told her that this person was trapped, too and it would be cruel to leave them down there. They could starve to death!

Crawling to the edge on her hands and knees, she peered down into the even darker--if at all possible-- hole in the ground. "Hello?" she called.

"Oh, thank Oberon!" the voice called back. "I've been trapped down here for a few days now. Is there any way you could get me out?"

Lenna thought for a moment. She didn't have anything to throw down for him to climb. "I'm sorry," she said, feeling a great pang of disappointment in herself," I haven't got any rope or anything like that." She ground her teeth. The one time she had the opportunity to act selflessly and she lacked the supplies to do so. She could hear his hope shatter in the eerie silence. She bit her lip. "Hold on."

Lenna jumped to her feet and ran back to the tunnel to grab a torch off the wall only to discover that they were fastened tightly. She glanced around and, from the corner of her eye, found the goblin, still jumping to light the same torch he'd been working at before. She strode up to him and grabbed the flaming stick from him.

"Hey!" he shouted.

She lit the torch.

"There. The torch is lit," she said and walked back into the room, leaving the goblin speechless.

The torch didn't give off a lot of light, but it gave off enough for her to get a relatively clear view of the room. The hole that she'd nearly fallen into was a large, deep gap that divided the room into two separate areas. On her side, it was pretty much just dirt and pebbles. On the other side, it had the same dirt and pebbles, but it also had a rope that was neatly wound up and set against the stone wall.

She looked for a bridge, but found none. She looked at the rope again, then at the gap, and sighed. It had to be at least thirty feet across. She knew for a fact that there was no way she would make it across in her klonkers. She wasn't even sure she could make it without them. But she just couldn't leave the poor guy down there. It would be inhumane. Plus he sounded pleasant enough. Perhaps he could help her save Sarah.

Damning her soft heart, she set the torch down on the ground and sat down to begin unfastening her boots. Once her boots were off, she backed up to the wall of the tunnel and tore across the room, leaping from the edge of the gap and sailing gracefully for about twenty feet and leaning forward, kicking and clawing, for the final ten. Digging her fingers into the dirt, Lenna and the wall connected with a _thump_. She hoisted herself up onto the ground level, attaining a few scrapes and bruises along the way. She stood a bit shakily and walked over to the rope.

As she grabbed the rope, she realized that she had no way of getting back across. Not only that, the man below had no way of seeing the rope.

With a wail of annoyance at her predicament, she plopped to the ground.

"Are you alright up there?" inquired the masculine voice from below.

There was a pause as Lenna was taken aback by his thoughtfulness. "I'm not sure," she finally replied.

The man said nothing, clearly waiting for her to continue.

"I've got some good news, but the bad news, I fear, kinda outweighs it."

"Alright," the man said slowly, clearly a bit nervous.

"The good news is, I found a rope on the other side of the ditch you're trapped in."

"You have no way of getting to it," the man guessed.

"Actually, I'm sitting right next to it. The problem is, I have no way of getting back across the ditch. And, even if I did, you won't be able to see the rope down there when I drop it. It's pitch black!"

Wondering how the girl could get across one way, but not the other, the man shook his head. There were more pressing matters. He could get to the particulars later on. "Actually, I can see surprisingly well. I've been down here for a few days now, remember? My eyes are adjusted. Go ahead and throw the rope down, then we can figure a way back across together."

_Together,_ she thought. Then she cursed.

"We have another problem, don't we?"

She sighed. "Yes," she groaned. I have nothing to attach the rope to. I saw the entire room when I was holding the torch thingy and it's just bare ground."

There was a long silence. "So… what are we going to do?"

Lenna let her head fall back, smacking against the wall, emitting a silent "ow" and raising it forward again. Her eyes caught the fire that was still burning merrily across the ditch and she glared at it. She loathed that fire for being so happy at a time like this.

That's when a small stump caught her attention. It was at the very edge of the other side of the ditch, sticking out like a sore thumb. How she had missed it before, she had no idea.

"Wait," she said. "I just found a stump. It's right at the edge of the ditch across the way, but it looks sturdy enough."

"Wonderful! Send the rope down!"

"Gimme a moment, I have to catch it on the stump first," Lenna reminded him.

She tied a slip knot in the rope, making a loop in one end. She swung the loop towards the stump and let go, watching its silhouette as it flew across the ditch and hit the ditch's wall. She'd missed badly. Determined, however, she pulled the loop back to herself, grateful that the rope was as long as it was, and tried again. She missed yet again, this time the rope hitting the ground beside the trunk. The fact that she'd gotten that much closer boosted her confidence and she pulled the loop back again, swinging it with all of her might and letting it loose one last time to sail through the air. This time, it caught. Grinning, she let it drop.

"You'll probably want to give it a good tug before you try to climb it to make sure it's tightened on the stump."

She could hear the man's footsteps below and she could hear the rope slide against the bark of the stump as it tightened.

The man grunted all the way up, but he climbed at a rather steady pace. He must not have been injured too badly by the fall. She winced at that moment, chiding herself for not bothering to ask him if he was alright.

Finally, she saw one hand grasp the stump, then the other. She watched as a figure rose over the edge of the cliff slowly, blocking the light from the torch as it did so. She could tell by the shape of the silhouette that the man was no weakling. He was slender, sure, but the muscles in his arms were clearly toned.

When the man was on solid ground, he picked up the stick, which made its light spread a little farther, allowing her make out some of his features as he turned to face her.

"I thought you said there was no way across," he said to her, his brow furrowing as he looked to her left.

"There isn't," she said, but turned her head to her left anyways. Her jaw dropped. "I swear it, there wasn't."

"There seems to be one now," the man replied.

_I'd better not have jumped that for nothing. God, I hope I'm not losing it in this place,_ she thought to herself as she walked over to the bridge.

It was a simple bridge: a very long, thick piece of wood that resembled the trunk of a tree laying across the gap. It didn't look stable at all. She stared at it, her odd, sudden fear of heights making her reluctant to cross.

"It won't bite you," said the man, playfully.

"I know that," she said back.

He could hear the nervousness in her voice. "Look, just close your eyes and crawl across. You'll be fine."

She continued to stare at the bridge.

"I promise," he said.

She looked up at him and stared for a moment before getting down on her hands and knees and wrapping her arms and legs around the trunk, sliding her way across the bridge.

The bridge didn't wobble much, but her heart was in her throat nonetheless as she prayed the experience would be over soon. When she reached the other side, she let out a shaky breath. Still clinging to the bridge, uncertain as far as how to maneuver herself onto the ground, she opened her eyes, finding the man's hand extended in front of her. She slowly reached up and grabbed it, grateful for the help.

"Thanks," she said as she walked over to her boots and sat down to put them back on.

"No, it is I who should be thanking you. I don't think I would've survived if you hadn't rescued me."

She looked up at him, having difficulty believing she had just heard that. "I'm sure I wouldn't have survived over there if you hadn't found the bridge," she informed him matter-of-factly. "We're even."

"Psh. You wouldn't have been over there in the first place if you hadn't been trying to help me. You deserved for me to get you back across. I owe you. Anything you want, just ask and I shall provide."

Lenna fastened the last clip on her boot and stood up, brushing herself off. This man was eerily chivalric. Not something she'd find back home. She smiled to herself. It was, however, something she would read in a good book. This was the type of man she'd always fantasized about meeting someday and possibly even falling for. She chuckled.

The man cocked his head. "Something funny?"

Lenna shook her head. "Just something I remembered."

The man looked at her quizzically for a moment, then shook his head. "What can I give you?" he asked again. "Please, it would be very ungentlemanly of me to accept your help for no payment."

Lenna sighed. "Alright, you really want to make a payment?"

"Anything," he said.

"Help me save my friend. She gave herself over to the king of this place to save me and now she's trapped forever. I have to get her back home, I know she won't be happy here."

There was a brief pause before she heard the man say "deal" and saw him begin walking towards the tunnel.

She trotted to catch up. Clearly this man didn't believe in wasting time.


	14. Like Fourteen Spears to the Heart

**Thanks a ton for all of your reading and reviewing!!! You guys are great! And major thanks to rhiannonofthemoon for her fabulous beta reading. Always nice to have a second set of eyes!**

**Disclaimer: Okay! In this chapter I own Mannonda. Her name means, roughly, pure of heart. It's elvish. Because she's an elf! I'm only borrowing the rest, I promise I'll put them back when I'm finished!**

Mannonda's eyes snapped open mid-meditation at the pain she felt shoot through her heart. She took a few deep breaths as she felt the pain subside as rapidly as it had come. Something wasn't right. She rose and walked over to her crystal that sat on a large stand in the middle of her room, looking into it. "Show me," she said to it, though she knew exactly what she would see.

A fog swirled around within the crystal as the image formed. Once it was complete, the fog cleared and Mannonda could clearly see Jareth sitting in his throne, his head propped by the fingers of one of his hands. She watched as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers and her heart fell. He looked shattered. He looked so lost. Her king had never looked this lost in his life, this hopeless. He'd always been a strong ruler, even after the spell had been cast.

She mentally cursed Sarah for causing the king such dismay, even though she knew that Sarah had no clue how she'd left his heart. She supposed it was more the situation than the person that she was angry at. King Jareth had ruled strongly during his entire reign until Sarah had come along and defeated him.

If it had merely been defeating the Labyrinth that had caused this, she was sure he would've gotten over it. But she had defeated his heart as well. And the second he'd been man enough to admit it-albeit in a round-about way- Sarah had thrown his confessions and promises back in his face. No matter how he'd plead, she'd been so dead set on winning her brother back that she hadn't even considered the fact that he had given himself to her.

Mannonda had watched him watch Sarah almost constantly since and she'd seen the pain that radiated vividly from his eyes. He had just been getting over Sarah when that damned song had come onto the radio that Sarah had been listening to and when the accident had happened, opening a new door for him to pull her through.

She'd thought his invasion of Sarah's dreams had been too intrusive and very cruel. She'd watched Sarah during the aftermath of the nightmare. The poor girl had been so shaken and terrified that Mannonda had been convinced that she wouldn't return to the Labyrinth for anything.

When he'd gotten her, much to Mannonda's surprise, she had given him the credit he clearly deserved for being cunning. Cruel, perhaps, but cunning nonetheless.

Then again, cruelty was exactly what Sarah expected from him, so she could hardly blame him.

Mannonda walked briskly from her room to the throne room and stopped at the doorway. He looked so much worse in person. She could see the exhaustion he was clearly experiencing. She could feel the tenseness of his muscles radiating off of him. Unable to stand it any longer, she walked towards the throne.

Jareth rose his head ever the slightest at the sound of Mannonda's footsteps to see who was approaching. He sighed at the sight of Mannonda, the only person he could be his true self around. He'd been grateful every day since the spell had been cast that she had witnessed it. If she hadn't, she'd likely believe him to be his old self the same as everyone else did. He hadn't been kind to her before the spell. She'd been his cleaning maid and he'd treated her like dirt under his feet. He'd been selfish and spoiled at the time and was far from humble. In fact, he was the exact opposite, enjoying rubbing other peoples' noses in their faults.

Within seconds, Mannonda was behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "You know you don't need to care for me when I'm in this form. Don't worry over me. Go enjoy your time off while you've still got it."

"It is my prime duty to be certain that you are cared for and made as comfortable as possible. And you clearly are not in any state of comfort, My Liege."

"My comfort is fine," Jareth lied.

Mannonda jabbed her thumb deeply into a muscle on the back of his shoulder, causing him to hiss and tense, proving her point. "You are miserable. You really need to stop thinking of that girl. She isn't good for you. I don't even know why you brought her here. All she's done is re-open your wounds."

"If it weren't for that damned witch, none of this ever would have happened."

"I will never forgive her for what she did, but you have been just as strong as ever until Sarah. If that witch hadn't cast that spell on you, you never would have known your faults."

Jareth sat up abruptly and turned to face Mannonda. "And what has this knowledge done? I'm forced to be whatever others imagine me to be. My people fear me because I am unable to show kindness. All they know is cruelty. I wouldn't even bother with the kingdom if I had faith that it would run smoothly without me in charge."

Mannonda rolled her eyes. "There's that pride again, Your Majesty."

"They hardly listen to me and I am a far greater threat than you. Do you think they enjoy having a cruel king? They hardly have any self control under an iron fist. What makes you think they would have any self control under the command of someone as kind as you?"

Mannonda smiled, unable to hold back her amusement at the remark. However, despite the fact that the comment had been entertaining, she knew that he was right.

"If that witch had never decided that it was her right to show me humility, I would have never been able to fall in love. If it weren't for that damned witch, none of this would ever have happened," he said, turning back around.

"You spoke with her, didn't you?" Mannonda said, going back to rubbing his shoulders. He never went off about the witch like this unless she'd been around.

"Was taunted by her is more like it," Jareth said grumpily. "She's already caused her damage, I don't see why she has to keep coming back to rub my nose in it."

Mannonda shrugged. "Perhaps she is simply trying to give you a taste of your own medicine. You used to do the same to people constantly."

"Well, I don't like it," he said, resting his chin in his hand.

"Neither did we," Mannonda reminded him lightly.

Jareth grunted in response.

Mannonda sighed. "Stop thinking about the witch, Your Highness. We need to be thinking of a way to get Sarah to see you for who you are instead of who you were."

Jareth sighed. "I've been trying to figure out that problem for a very long time. I'm beginning to wonder if it is simply impossible."

Mannonda mulled this over for a few minutes as she continued to rub his shoulders, feeling the tense muscles loosen under her fingertips. And that's when it hit her.

"You know, she's practically worshipped by your people," she reminded Jareth.

Jareth turned and shot a poisonous glare at her. "Need you remind me?" he asked, detesting the foul taste in his mouth.

Mannonda shrugged. "Well, they do. And with that girl running about your Labyrinth, I'd be worried if I were you. If they find out you've got Sarah held captive, they'll start a riot."

Jareth turned away from her, waving his hand in dismissal of the thought. "They're just goblins. What kind of damage could they really do."

Mannonda decided that she would allow him to answer his own question. The moment of silence was very long before several expletives were muttered in staccato by the Goblin King.

Mannonda smiled. She knew it was cruel, but she couldn't let him know what he was about to do or the reasoning behind it.

"Now," she said, all business, "if you could get Sarah to say that you've taken rather good care of her since she's arrived, I imagine they would back down."

Jareth's fingers went to his eyes, rubbing the inner corners as he felt a migraine setting in.

"I've got it all planned out. Give her a nice meal, give her freedom to roam the castle. Perhaps a warmer room? Make her feel at home."

"It's for my people, yes?" Jareth questioned, considering it.

"But of course, My Liege," Mannonda replied.

"That is something she might expect. It will at least keep the crowds from giving me more trouble than I've already got."

Mannonda smiled. "Might I ask, what are your plans for Lenna? You aren't truly going to turn a grown woman into a goblin, are you?"

Jareth sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, then brushed her hands off of his shoulders. "One problem at a time, please."

Mannonda moved to face Jareth and curtsied. "Very well, My Liege. I will gladly help Sarah prepare herself for dinner with you if you would like. I know my job has never been in that area, but I have practiced it a lot in my spare time."

Jareth studied her face for a moment. "It's the least I could do for you," he said, sensing her longing to do makeup on someone else for once.

Mannonda smiled and gave another curtsy before walking out of the room.

Jareth watched her as she went and he wondered how lonely it must be for her to live in the castle and care for him all the time. He'd never seen her speaking with anyone else or having visitors. Or going out, for that matter. Except to pick up necessities, that is. He would have to come up with a wonderful surprise for her in payment for her diligent care.


	15. Just Fifteen Minutes of Therapy

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reading and reviews! I am so pleased! And thank you, Rhiannonofthemoon, for your beta reading expertise.**

**Disclaimer: Mannonda's my only character in this chapter. Thank you for letting me borrow the others.**

Sarah sat on her bed, staring into the crystal that Jareth had forgotten in his hasty departure. Her frown was deep as she watched Lenna work her way through the bowels of the Labyrinth.

She wasn't horribly worried about Lenna's safety or her ability to make it through the Labyrinth. She knew for a fact that the Labyrinth was no match for Lenna, who had always been great at puzzles and mazes of all types and who was capable of expecting that pretty much anything might happen. That combined with the obvious fury she held towards the Goblin King would get her through just fine.

No, the frown had hardly anything to do with Lenna's welfare and almost everything to do with the Goblin King and his request.

She didn't want to stay forever. She especially didn't want to be a loyal subject of the king who had tricked her back to his Labyrinth just so he could lock her in his castle. The fact that he'd even made such a ridiculous request baffled her. Why did he want her here so badly? The game should have been over after she had defeated him.

She sighed in frustration and looked back into the crystal ball to see Lenna leap effortlessly through the air. And she gasped when she saw Lenna fall.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her breathing stopped dead, her eyes watering and her chest barely able to hold her wail of anguish back, until she saw Lenna pull herself over the cliff on the other side.

This brought on a huge sigh of relief and she wiped her eyes with one hand as the other went to her stomach, which was now in ugly knots.

Perhaps her beliefs that Lenna would make it had all been there to cover up the fact that she was afraid that this might be one challenge Lenna could not defeat. Not only had Lenna nearly gotten herself killed, but she'd done it to get across a gash in the ground to be stuck with a wall that appeared to have no exit. Sarah knew how the Goblin King liked to play with illusions. Perhaps Lenna had seen something that clearly wasn't there.

Sarah was so intent on watching Lenna that everything around her had all but vanished. The breath on her ear seconds later, however, changed all of that. "How is our dear Lenna faring?" came the Goblin King's deep, smooth voice, carrying all of his arrogance along with it.

Sarah jumped. "She's doing fine," Sarah said, hoping she was right.

"She doesn't look fine."

Sarah watched as her friend crumpled to the ground in defeat. "No matter," he said. "She won't win anything by defeating my Labyrinth anyway. It would be safer for her to stay away from the castle altogether.

Sarah could hear the venom in his voice and swallowed. "Met our match, have we?" she said to him.

"She is no more my match than you. And I learned where my usual generosity gets me when I was defeated by you."

_Generocity?_ Sarah's eyes narrowed and she twisted to meet his. "What do you want? You must have better things to do than waste your time bothering a captive."

"I wish to inform you in person that your will be dining with me tonight."

Sarah's brow furrowed. A king dine with a prisoner? The paranoia she'd had since she'd reached her late teens flared up. She couldn't be positive, but she had a feeling that he had no one but the goblins residing in his castle with him. Until now. "Why? I'm clearly nothing important if I can't even leave this room," she spat.

"I can't keep you locked in here with no room to stretch your legs. What would my people think? You changed many things in my Labyrinth, Sarah. Everyone knows who you are and I would much prefer to avoid a riot, or worse."

"No one knows I'm here except for you and Lenna."

"And with Lenna running about my Labyrinth, how long do you think that will last?"

Sarah stood up to walk across the room. She hadn't really thought of that. "I'm not really hungry," she told Jareth. "I'd much prefer to stay here."

"You haven't a choice," he replied. "Supper will be in one hour. I expect you to bathe and arrive in this dress," he ordered, laying a garment on her bed. "Mannonda, the caregiver of my animals, will arrive to assist you shortly."

"A pet sitter?" Sarah asked in confusion.

"Her _job_ is to care for my creatures, however she has many other talents that she practices frequently on her own time. I now wish to give her the opportunity to exercise them on someone else."

Before Sarah could respond, he vanished.

She walked over to the dress and looked it over. It was beautiful, she had to admit.

It was a pale blue Victorian-style dress with mint-green accents patterning over the fabric. The shapes were very small and Sarah had to lean close and squint to make them out.

She rolled her eyes. Tiny, mint-green lemniscates, the same symbol that was etched into the pendant that he wore around his neck.

She also noticed a mint-green corsette that she imagined was meant to be worn over the bodice of the dress as opposed to under the dress like most corsettes were.

She did have to admit, the dress was beautiful. If she saw it in a store aboveground, she would most certainly take a great interest in it.

"How such an arrogant asshole has such excellent taste, I'll never know," she muttered bitterly.

A knock sounded on her door, making her jump and she dropped the dress back onto the bed in her surprise, turning her head to look at the door.

"Miss Sarah?" she heard a woman's voice call, muffled by the door.

_Must be the pet sitter,_ she thought to herself. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing a slender woman who was about the same height as Sarah. Sarah's breath was taken away by her beauty.

Her flesh was pale and had a slight shimmer of silver to it. Her lips and her hair were as blue as midnight and her long, perfectly manicured nails were of the same color—whether they were painted or naturally blue, Sarah didn't know. She wore a black Renaissance-style gown with silver silk ties.

"My name is Mannonda," the woman informed her. "My Lordship requested that I assist you in preparing for the royal supper."

Sarah blinked as she processed Mannonda's words. "Yes," she finally said. "He told me to expect you. Come in."

Mannonda nodded, stepping the rest of the way into the room and going straight to the connected bathroom. "I imagine you haven't had a chance to bathe yet," she said as she turned on the tap.

"No," Sarah replied. "He left only a few minutes before you arrived." She stepped just inside the door of the bathing room.

Mannonda glanced over at Sarah. "The dress is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, knowing that Sarah had been looking at it just before she'd arrived.

"The dress is gorgeous," Sarah said. "If only you king matched its worth."

Mannonda raised an eyebrow. "You're not excited that you've been invited to dine with His Majesty?"

"Invited?" she questioned irritably. "Ordered is more like it. To protect his political image," she finished, making the last words as melodramatic as possible

Mannonda's brow furrowed. "It is very rare for a king to dine with his rival, my lady. If you hadn't ripped his heart from his chest before leaving here last time, I doubt he would even have given you the grand opportunity to visit as a guest."

Sarah looked at Mannonda in utter disbelief. "A guest?" she said, bewildered. "Prisoner is more like it. And the man doesn't even have a heart in his body to break! I imagine he's merely punishing me by trapping me here."

"Ah, yes, of course," Mannonda said, her words dripping with sarcasm. "He's punishing you by giving you a room in his palace with a nice bed and brand new clothes. Not to mention your own bathing room."

Sarah wasn't sure what to say. As miserable as she was, she had to admit that the woman had made a good point.

"And you would be surprised at how much of a heart he has. And it's all for you, my lady." She reached into her bodice, pulling out a vial of green liquid and pouring it into the water under the tap to let it mix in properly before the tub was full.

"What is that? Some form of bath oil?"

"It is a scented relaxant," Mannonda responded as she slipped the now-empty vial back into her bodice. "I imagine you have been rather stressed since your arrival. I know you don't think very highly of His Majesty, but I want you to enjoy your supper with him. The first thing on the list in making that happen is to help you relax. Now, disrobe while this finishes filling up. We've only an hour to prepare you."

Sarah looked at her a bit nervously for a second, then did as she'd been told. It wasn't as if she'd never done this back home. Back home, she changed clothes all the time in the same room as the other actresses. _Lord, my nerves must be really on edge,_ she thought as she pulled her jeans off.

The tub was finished filling up by the time she was fully stripped and, as Mannonda stepped out of the way, Sarah stepped into the steaming bath, lowering herself slowly into the water as her body got used to the temperature.

As she slid into the water, she let out a sigh of contentment and inhaled the magnificent scent of the aroma therapeutic oil.

"That smells wonderful."

"I'm glad you approve, my lady." Mannonda knelt behind her and gathered her hair into her hands.

Sarah jumped.

"Easy, my lady. I am simply going to rub your shoulders. His Highness is not the only one in this castle who is tense.

Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself while Mannonda dropped her hair over her left shoulder and began to rub her shoulders with soft, gentle hands.

Sarah sighed and sank into it, her eyes closing with bliss. Perhaps being stuck here wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I'm sorry," she said to Mannonda after a moment.

"For what, my lady?"

"For being so jumpy. I'm just nervous."

"Rightfully so," Mannonda said. "In a new palace, locked in a room all alone, His Majesty coming and going as he pleases—that would make any girl nervous."

Sarah gave a nod of thanks for Mannonda's understanding.

"You know, My King has been very stressed as well."

"I'm sure he has," Sarah replied, not really believing it. "God knows luring prisoners and throwing innocent girls into a maze can be so taxing."

Mannonda swallowed, reminding herself to keep her temper. The girl hadn't yet learned the truth. "He's had a lot more to deal with than you know, my lady."

"What? Replacing damaged items in the throne room? You know, Lenna hasn't done anything that he didn't deserve."

"I'm not speaking of the girl or the fire, my lady."

Sarah sat up and turned to face Mannonda. "We wouldn't even be here if he hadn't chosen to _take _me as payment for Lenna's freedom. The bastard could have had me do anything for him and he chose to _trap_ me!"

"Calm yourself, my lady," Mannonda said, turning Sarah back around. "I have no intention of distressing you."

"Then stop talking about his troubles. Why should I care how hectic his life is when all of my current problems were caused by him?"

Mannonda pondered this for a moment. "I apologize, my lady. I told him that those dreams were too intense."

Sarah froze. How had she known that the dreams were the cause of all of this? In fact, "how do you know about my dreams?"

"I may be nothing more than his resident animal expert, but I am very important to His Majesty. I know every choice he makes and everything that he deals with, good or bad."

"Then tell me why he can't just let the fact that I defeated him go?"

"Oh, it has nothing to do with that," Mannonda informed her.

Sarah threw her hands up in exasperation, then let them splash back into the tub. "That's right. I 'ripped his heart out'."

"I don't understand. How can you not see it when it's so obvious?"

"Oh, yes. It's obvious that he loves me. I've been shivering in this freezing cold room that looks over the junk yard and I've been dealing with his taunting me ever since I arrived. And I'm not even the one running his damned Labyrinth! Yes, crystal clear that he loves me."

Mannonda sighed. "Just have an open mind—and an open heart—tonight, my lady. That is all that I ask. Things will become more clear to you then and it will make things much easier on both of you."

Sarah's face acquired an expression of skepticism, but she imagined taking Mannonda's advice couldn't make things any worse than they already were. Except, perhaps, that she might be moved to a cold stone cell. She decided that she might consider taking Mannonda's advice. If she felt like it.

She sank back into the water and let out another content sigh. "God, that smells so_ good_," she said, knowing that it was silly to repeat her opinions on the aroma therapy oil, but finding it difficult not to.

Mannonda smiled. "Soothing, isn't it?"

"Very." Sarah basked in the scent, happy that it let her mind, which had been running non stop for the past several days, take a break and empty itself. After a few minutes, she began to notice that her head was feeling light. She opened her eyes to find that they were blurring slightly and she furrowed her brow and reached a hand out to the side of the tub to balance herself.

"My lady?" Mannonda said, noticing Sarah's change in body language. "Are you alright?"

"I feel a little woozy," Sarah replied.

Mannonda's hands stopped and there was a moment's pause before she moved to get a towel.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked groggily.

"It is time for you to get out of the bath. The serum is effecting you. My deepest apologies, my lady. I didn't realize that it had a different effect on humans than it did on the fae."

Sarah wasn't sure whether she believed Mannonda or not—she'd been speaking so highly of the Goblin King that Sarah wouldn't put it past her to drug her before their dinner—but Sarah felt too relaxed to care, so she got out of the tub quietly and very carefully and stepped into the towel that Mannonda held out for her.

As Sarah began to dry off, Mannonda pulled the plug in the bath and wrapped Sarah's hair in another towel, creating a terry cloth bee hive on top of her head.

Sarah moved to the dresser, digging for a normal pair of underwear, her towel left laying on the floor of the bathroom, but wasn't finding any.

"Ugh! Doesn't anyone wear anything other than bloomers in this place?"

Mannonda stepped up behind her. "Bloomers are common here, my lady. They would work best with the dress anyway."

Sarah supposed she was right. She'd worn bloomers before, after all, in plays that took place many centuries in the past. But she'd always worn her regular undies beneath the bloomers. She supposed there was a first time for everything, though. Better to get used to society in the underground early on.

Glancing back at the bed, she thought back to the color of the dress. Whit bloomers would go best, but she decided to wear black instead simply because it fit her recent mood better.

When she moved to open the drawer that contained corsets, Mannonda stopped her. "His Highness has already chosen a corset for you, my lady. It accents the dress beautifully, too."

"Of course," Sarah grumbled.

"Come. Let us paint your face before putting your dress on. We wouldn't want any smudges to get on the fabric."

Sarah followed Mannonda back to the bathroom and sat patiently with her back to the vanity mirror while Mannonda did her makeup. Sarah wondered if this pampering would become a regular thing or if it was just for special occasions. It was certainly relaxing, despite the drugged bath water.

Mannonda chose to use a pale blue eye shadow and she brushed Sarah's cheeks with a thin layer of blush, just enough to give them color. She then curled Sarah's lashes and brushed mascara on to accent the blue. Her final step was to apply a light dusting of white glitter to Sara's skin—she applied it to Sara's face, neck, upper chest, and upper back.

Sarah tried to look in the mirror when Mannonda was finished, but was ushered back to the bedroom too quickly.

"You can see when you have your dress on. Not before," Mannonda chided lightly as she began to dress Sarah.


	16. Sixteen Feet to the Grate

**Author's Note: A major thanks to all of my readers and reviewers. You guys are the awesomest. And a ginormous thanks to Rhiannonofthemoon for her wonderful beta reading. This story wouldn't be the same without her help.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Xaiden and Lenna in this chapter. The rest are just characters I'm playing with. Not my property. Don't sue!**

Lenna looked over at her new ally as they walked purposefully through the tunnels. She still couldn't tell much about his features as the torchlight was dim, but she could see shapes and the flame gave her a good idea as to what color his hair was.

His hair glowed orange in the direct light, but held a deeper red tint in the shadows. His face was thin and angular. His vest, which she thought might be brown due to the color the flames gave it, was open. She knew this because she could see the torchlight glinting off of his chiseled abs.

Clearly this man was strong and Lenna counted this as a plus. She didn't know what kinds of dangers she would face in this Labyrinth and having a strong, chivalric man at her defense made her feel less concerned.

"So," Lenna said, feeling in the mood for a little conversation, "what's your name?"

"Xaiden," he responded. "What is yours?"

"Lenna."

"Lenna," he said softly just to see how it felt. "A fair name for an even fairer lady."

Lenna shrugged to hide the feelings that caused her slight blush. "I've always liked it. So, you're stuck in this stupid maze, too?" She said it more as a statement than a question.

"No, just visiting," Xaiden told her casually.

Lenna's brow furrowed. "If you're '_just visiting_'," she said, doing finger quotes in the air, not caring that they probably wouldn't be seen, "how did you manage to get caught in that oversized grave?"

"Oh, I got a little turned around. I must say, Jareth's Labyrinth never fails to remain a good challenge."

Lenna blinked. "So, you run this thing for _fun_?"

"Oh, absolutely. Always good to keep my mind exercised. Oberon knows that daily life can't manage that."

Lenna thought this over for a moment. "So, you know your way to the castle, then." She was beginning to feel both excited and extremely worried.

"Oh, yes. I've been through there several times."

Lenna swallowed. Was her mouth feeling dry? "So," she said, clearing her throat, "I imagine you're a close friend of his, then?"

"Like brothers," Xaiden said, looking at her with a grin that would have made her incredibly suspicious if she'd been able to see it.

His words, however, were enough to do the job. She stopped and placed her hands on her hips. "Then how am I supposed to trust you? For all I know you're taking me down the wrong path."

Xaiden stopped and turned to walk back to her. "I may be his friend," he informed her, "but I can't just leave a dainty thing such as yourself stuck out here to fend for yourself." His lips brushed across her knuckles.

Lenna fought back a shiver of pleasure, forcing herself to remain focused on the task at hand. She pulled her hand away from him and stared at his shadowy figure in mistrust. After several moments of weighing her pros and cons, she decided that it would be wise to accept his assistance. Whether he was against her or not, it couldn't hurt. "Alright," she said and they continued their way through the tunnel.

A few minutes later, after getting through a particularly nasty curve in the tunnel, they saw a shaft of shimmering light.

"Wonderful," Xaiden said cheerfully.

Lenna looked at him as if he was insane. "It's just a grate," she said. "It would be useful if it weren't so high up."

As they approached it, both looked up.

"Actually," Lenna continued, "if you could boost me up there…"

"No," Xaiden said. "There is no need to have you do all of the work. Your feet must be killing you from walking in those shoes all day. You just rest. I'll take care of the grate."

Lenna stepped back and, leaning against the wall, watched as Xaiden transformed into a falcon and flew up to push the grate out of the way. Her jaw set.

He flew back into the tunnel to regain his previous form so that he could boost her out, then transformed again to get himself out.

Once both of them were securely standing on the path aboveground in the broad daylight, Xaiden looked at Lenna with a grin of triumph.

Lenna looked at him with a glare. And, according to the rest of her expression, as well as her stance, it wasn't a playful glare.

Xaiden's smile melted away.

"I thought you were trapped," she snapped.

He smirked. "I had to get your attention," he informed her.

"Get my attention?" she asked, clearly fighting to hold back her anger.

"You're so beautiful. And you were so set on your mission that there seemed to be no other way of getting your attention. I've never met a woman as strong and gorgeous as you."

"You asked for my help before seeing me," she reminded him.

The raised eyes she got in return said it all. She began to slowly inch away from him. "I know you're not human, I even suspect that you're fae. But how could you be low enough to spy on me and have me risk my life, simply for the sake of catching my attention, only for you to show that you didn't need me at all?"

"Love does funny things."

"No. Creeps like you do funny things. Stay away from me." Proud that her voice hadn't quaked a bit, she turned and ran away from him.

Xaiden smirked. He loved a good chase. He snapped his fingers and appeared directly in front of Lenna as she stalked through a narrow corridor, leaning against the wall and giving her a devilish grin that was usually heart stopping amongst the female folk.

Lenna stopped and glared at him. "Get out of my way," she said between clenched teeth, no longer caring to be polite.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he said.

Lenna turned around and moved to march off in the opposite direction only to have him block her way again.

After a moment of silent frustration, a wicked grin entered her mind.

She walked seductively over to his side and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, prompting him to turn towards her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Xaiden glanced at her.

"I know that your people don't practice our ways. I've read so much on faeries that not only should I have expected what you did, I should have forgiven it immediately as well."

Xaiden put his arms around her waist, his grin widening. "It's nice to see that you're thinking clearly, my lady."

She twirled a finger through a stray lock of his hair. "I am so honored," she said huskily, "to have been chosen by you."

Xaiden leaned forward to meet her lips with his.

Lenna felt great satisfaction in watching his eyes bulge out of his skull when her knee connected with his groin. He slumped to the ground in too much agony to make a sound and Lenna turned and walked off with a smug grin on her face. "Teach him to trick me and think he can get away with it," she mumbled.

She noticed a wall with an arrow pointing left coming up and she stopped when she reached it. The arrow was probably the Goblin King's way of getting people even more mixed up than they already were in his Labyrinth. She peered through the opening to her left, then looked to her right to find another opening.

She looked to her left again. The path seemed to go on forever. The one to her right had several openings in it. She backed up a bit and could see the castle looming over the Labyrinth past the wall with the arrow on it.

She turned right and walked a little ways before she found a left-hand turn and took it. She wanted to move towards the castle. She was particularly pleased when the path she had chosen was a very long one. Perhaps it was the only one she would need.

A few minutes later, she glanced up to find that the castle was no longer there.

Her brow furrowing in puzzlement, she looked every which way and found it to her right. With a shrug, she kept walking forward until she found a right-hand turn.

The second she made the turn, she discovered that the castle was no longer there. She stopped and turned around to find a wall. She looked all around her to find that she was trapped in a box. A big, stone box. With a scream of frustration, she turned and kicked the wall only to have her foot slide straight through.

She fell through the wall and right smack into a large, scaly leg. As she slowly backed away, she noticed that there was a foot with claws attached to the leg. Backing up until she ran into a wall, she tried to see how big the dragon was. When she hit the wall, she decided to call it huge and gulped.

She watched as the dragon sniffed the air as she tried to move past it as quietly as possible. When she got to the curve in the middle of its tail, she heard a very loud roar and nearly jumped out of her skin. The tail moved to block her path as the dragon exhaled a stream of fire. Seconds later, she was nose-to-nose with it, a low growl emitting from its throat. Smoke trailed from its nostrils and she watched in wide-eyed terror as it opened its mouth. Its teeth were huge and sharp and she could clearly see the taste-buds on its red, pointed tongue.

She absently moved her feet, trying to get on top of the tail so she could turn and run.

In irritation, the dragon reared its head back and blew fire at her on another roar.

Lenna winced and pulled her head back as far as possible. The heat was turning her beads of sweat from fear into streams and she had to try really hard not to breathe until the flame stopped.

When the flame was gone, Lenna noticed a falcon above the dragon's head. As the dragon's gaping jaw sped towards her, she winced. The falcon turned into Xaiden. He landed on the back of the dragon's neck and, summoning a sword, slit its throat.

Lenna screamed as the dragon's head crashed to the ground mere inches from her feet.

"Are you alright, my fair maiden?" she heard a voice say into her ear.

Jumping again, she slowly turned to see Xaiden there, true concern in his eyes.

He offered his hand and she made no objections to taking it as he helped her climb over the beast's tail.

"You're shaking," he said when both were standing on solid ground.

"Yeah, a natural reaction to looking death in the eye," Lenna said.

"Did you shake when you made that life-saving leap earlier?"

Lenna glared at him. "Life-saving my ass," she shouted. "You could've gotten out of there on your own."

"I wouldn't have let you fall," he informed her.

"I risked my life for you!" she screamed. "I risked my life because you couldn't think of a more clever way to get my attention. I don't care if you're fae or not, you're scum!"

"Well, now we're even," he said. "I risked my life to save you. And I didn't have a magical person to catch my fall."

"You had you," she seethed. She paused for a long moment, then sighed. "But thank you all the same," she said.

"You are quite welcome," he said, reaching to kiss her hand.

She pulled it away. "You're still scum, though," she said. "I don't accept romantic gestures from scum."

Xaiden couldn't help but laugh.


	17. Seventeen Ounces Per Glass

**More thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! Keep up the great work! And thanks to Rhiannonofthemoon for another chapter well-betaed (sp?)! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Lenna, Mannonda, and Xaiden. The rest belong to other people.**

Jareth sat at the dining table with a glass that contained a very strong alcoholic beverage in one hand and a crystal ball focused on Lenna and her new ally in the other. Or, to be more specific, Lenna and her new ally that also happened to be Jareth's brother.

Jareth hadn't seen his brother in an incredibly long time and he hadn't been on speaking terms with him for even longer.

You see, Jareth had not only made the mistake of being born first, but had also made the mistake of being the responsible one with a fist of iron.

While Xaiden had spent his years gallivanting around, trying to bed every woman in the underground, Jareth had sat by his father's side, learning about the finer points of ruling. He was given responsibilities, such as managing the kingdom's military while Xaiden was neglecting his responsibilities of keeping a close watch on the servants.

Their parents gave Xaiden's responsibility over to Jareth, tiring of spotted mirrors and half-made beds, and Jareth had proudly assumed the duty. The servants had performed their duties beyond perfection the next day and for every day after that. The servants all but feared Jareth and he hadn't even needed to make an example of anyone.

His father had decided right then and there to make Jareth the ruler of the Goblin Kingdom.

Jareth wasn't exactly pleased by this. He'd always wanted to be a ruler, but he'd always hoped that it would be over a more noble kingdom. Why couldn't Xaiden take the Goblin Kingdom? He would fit so well.

His father had explained that the Goblins needed a strong ruler and reminded Jareth that Xaiden wasn't even capable of handling the servants, let alone a kingdom.

Jareth had taken the kingdom with a sigh and, in all of his annoyance, had terrified the Goblins into at least following commands which, despite his many threats, was the best he had been able to get out of them.

Jealous, Xaiden had paid a witch a pretty penny to curse Jareth and his Labyrinth, thus leaving Jareth with the new responsibility of taking unwanted children and keeping them if the wisher couldn't complete his Labyrinth within thirteen hours.

After thirteen hours, the children would become Goblins and would reside in his palace. Jareth had refused to speak to Xaiden after this and, in all of his boyish rage, had begged his parents to put him to death.

His parents had refused, explaining to him that that sort of punishment was a bit too much for such a deed. They did, however, compromise with him and had exiled Xaiden for one hundred years. The compromise was as much to teach Xaiden a lesson as it was to please Jareth, who had grumbled about it, but had said that, as long as he never had to see Xaiden again, that would do.

_So much for that¸_ he thought to himself as he watched Xaiden going through his Labyrinth with Lenna. He knocked back the drink and poured another. If it weren't for the threat that could be caused by his people, Jareth would have cancelled supper with Sarah and retired to his quarters for the rest of the century.

Jareth downed his glass again. He was beginning to feel a slight buzz and was reaching the point where he no longer cared one way or the other about anything when Mannonda escorted Sarah through the dining hall doors. All of Jareth's problems melted away as he looked at Sarah.

The dress was flattering on her, making her abs look more toned and her breasts look bigger. The glitter made her shine like magic, except the magic that she shone like was far more appealing than any magic he'd ever seen before.

The pale blue eye shadow and the frost pink lipstick not only blended well with everything, but, along with the mascara, accented her features perfectly.

The sides of her hair were pulled back by pale blue faux-flowers with silver centers that had silver silk ribbons trailing down from them.

He stood and informed Mannonda that she was free to have the rest of the evening to herself.

Sarah remained standing until Jareth gestured towards the chair across from him, as had been recommended by Mannonda. Sarah didn't expect to enjoy dinner and she really didn't care if it was enjoyable or not, just so long as it ended quickly. If she had to be polite to make things run smoothly, then so be it.

"You're early," Jareth commented as he poured more of the dark liquid into his glass.

"Mannonda is surprisingly quick with these things."

"Would you like a glass?" Jareth asked, holding out the bottle.

Sarah looked at the bottle nervously. "What is it?"

"The Buzz-Maker as the Goblins so affectionately call it. It's a very relaxing drink."

_The Buzz-Maker?_ Sarah thought. The name said enough. "No, thank you. I think I've had enough relaxing liquids for one evening."

Jareth corked the bottle and set it down, then took a huge gulp from his glass.

Sarah watched him, a little surprised. She'd never imagined him to be a drinker. She supposed she'd never imagined him _not_ to be a drinker, either. Come to think of it, she hadn't imagined him at all since shortly after her last visit until just recently. Somehow, his drinking alcohol was still surprising, though.

The silence that blanketed the room at that moment was very thick and even more awkward.

Jareth sat back, swirling his drink in his glass, his eyes focused intently on the deep red liquid. Normally silence would be a pleasant rest for him, but, tonight, it was turning his mood sour. Despite his current emotional numbness, he longed for a distraction from his thoughts. Xaiden was the last thing he wanted to steam about over supper. However, he was now feeling far too sour to speak.

Sarah figited with her napkin, glancing up at Jareth every now and again. As if dining with him wasn't awkward enough, the silence made it even worse. She already felt like she'd been sitting there for forever and it had only been two minutes, according to the clock on the wall. Then again, with thirteen-hour days, she wasn't sure if their two minutes were the same amount of time as two minutes was aboveground.

She glanced around a bit and her eye was caught by the crystal that rested on the table in front of Jareth. She looked up at him to find him focused on his drink as it sloshed around in his glass, threatening to spill over the brim.

"How's Lenna doing?" she asked, knowing that was who he must be watching.

"Hm?" he said and stopped moving the glass abruptly.

Sarah winced as it almost went over the edge of the glass. "Lenna," she said when the drink settled. "How is she doing?"

Jareth gave her a long, hard look before relaxing his face and setting the glass down. He lifted the crystal into his hand and began to let it roll along his fingers. "See for yourself," he said, letting it roll off of his fingertips and leap towards Sarah.

Sarah dropped her napkin and caught the crystal. She peered into it and smiled with great relief. "She's out of the Oubliette," she said. She squinted, then smiled again. "She's made a friend!"

With the flick of Jareth's wrist, the crystal disappeared.

Sensing his annoyance, Sarah looked at him and couldn't help but give a slight grin of satisfaction. "So I'm not the only one who's defeated the Labyrinth."

Jareth shot her a cold glare. "He's never run the Labyrinth before and he has no excuse to be here now," he said with a bitter taste in his mouth. He downed what was left in his glass and poured another.

Sarah set the crystal down on the table on the other side of her empty plate. "If he's never run the Labyrinth, why are you so angry?" she asked, pleased to finally have something to talk about.

Jareth finished a gulp of his drink and lowered the glass from his lips. "He's the reason babies become goblins."


	18. Eighteen Steps to the Hole

**Author's Note: A great thanks to my faithful readers and reviewers! You make the sharing of this story possible.**

**Disclaimer: I'll give 'em back when I'm done. Please don't sue me.**

"Great,"Lenna said when she and Xaiden hit a dead end.

"We should go back. There's probably a turn on the other side of the dragon somewhere."

Lenna sighed. "Yeah, I suppose we should," she said, turning to find a wall replacing the corridor they had just come through. She began to take deep breaths as she turned red. She was _so_ not in the mood to fall out of another stone box and deal with another dragon.

"Are you alright, my lady?" asked Xaiden.

Lenna closed her eyes.

"There's a door," Xaiden notifieded her.

Her eyes snapped open and she glanced at him, noticing that he was looking back at the wall they had just come to. She turned around to see a door with a grotesque gargoyle head on the front, a large ring hanging from its nose.

"I wonder where it leads to," she said, excitement building up inside. What if it led straight to the castle? Her hope was quickly shoved aside, however, by logic. Why would the Goblin King make it so easy for her to return?

"Let's find out," Xaiden said, ignoring the knocker and pushing the side of the door with his hand.

"Excuse me!" said the gargoyle.

Lenna fought not to jump back in surprise.

Xaiden glanced at the gargoyle.

"A fine gentleman you are, you can't even keep your hands to yourself! I have no clue how you've managed to keep this girl around."

Lenna fought back a smile.

"I am royalty and, as such, have been given the right to go through any door in the kingdom that I wish," said Xaiden.

"Haven't you ever heard of a knocker? Don't you find it rude to just push your way around?"

"Excuse me," said Lenna, interrupting the argument. "Would you happen to know what's on the other side of this door?"

"Land, I suppose. Why do you care? It's the only way out of this box."

"I just like to be prepared," Lenna replied, dryly.

"No sense trying to be prepared in this place," the gargoyle said.

"Thanks," Lenna said, grabbing the ring and knocking.

The door opened, revealing exactly what the gargoyle had guessed would be on the other side- land. Land covered in trees, vines and rocks. It was an untamed landscape, similar to a jungle.

Xaiden walked right through the door, stopping when he found that Lenna was not with him. He turned around.

"Coming?"

Lenna swallowed. "As if the dragon wasn't bad enough. We have no way of knowing what's out there!"

Xaiden rolled his eyes. "Give me a break," he said. "A girl who risked her life, leaping over a thirty-foot death trap, is now afraid to walk into a forest?"

Lenna sighed. He'd made a good point. She gulped again and slowly walked through the door.

"See? That wasn't so bad."

"If we ran into a dragon _inside_ the Labyrinth, what do you think we might run into in the wild?" she asked, trying to wrap his brain around her logic.

"A lack of walls telling us which way to go. And plants. Lots of plants."

Lenna rolled her eyes as they strolled deeper into the woods.

"I don't hear any birds," Lenna said.

Xaiden shrugged. "So? Perhaps that merely means that there are no beasts here."

"You sound awfully uncertain for a man who claims to know the Labyrinth," Lenna pointed out.

"Well, he's never put me around the outskirts before. This is new."

"Maybe the birds were eaten by the beasts," Lenna said.

"Poppycock," Xaiden said, waving a hand a the issue. "If the beasts ate all of the birds, they would be out of things to eat and all of them would be dead. Just because all of our creatures are magical doesn't mean that they don't need food to survive."

"You mean like other lost travelers?" Lenna queried.

Xaiden rubbed his chin in thought. He'd never considered that. He was about to respond when he fell through the ground.

"Oh, shit!" Lenna said, jumping back and looking down. She stared at the spot, wondering what to do.

On one hand, she could continue on without him. Probably not the best idea. As frustrating as he was, he _had_ saved her from a dragon.

On the other hand, she could try to go in after him, if she could just figure out where he'd stepped. Then again, how was she to know what was down there and if he was even still alive?

She sighed, pondering it over for a few minutes.

She then started canvassing the small area to find the opening so she could go in after him. She supposed it couldn't be any worse than leaping over a thirty-foot ditch.

A few seconds later, her foot hit the spot and she fell through the dirt, rushing down through a long, dark tunnel.

As she got closer to the end of the tunnel, she was able to see better and this newfound vision showed her that the tunnel was about to come to an end into a lot of nothing.


	19. Nineteen Minutes Later

**Author's Note: And another thanks to my great readers and reviewers! You guys have been so awesome through this story that I think you deserve more chapters today! I will get as many as I can up to give you lots of fun stuff to read.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't sue me.**

Sarah stared at Jareth, unsure what to say. His explanation had seemed too wild to be a lie, but he was her enemy. How could she trust someone when they were trying to keep her trapped?

"So," she said slowly, "in short, your brother paid a witch to put the curse of baby-stealing and goblin-making on your shoulders."

"In short, yes," Jareth replied, finishing off his umpteenth glass of Buzz-Maker and pouring another one.

"And this is the brother who is now running about in your Labyrinth with Lenna."

Jareth gave her a look that questioned why she had even needed to ask that.

Sarah sighed. "I don't know, Jareth. I want to believe you. You're upset enough over this whole thing to make your story completely believable. But why _should_ I believe you when you've been nothing but manipulative?"

"When was the last time I told you a lie?" he asked, taking a swig of his drink.

Sarah had to think about that. He'd taken her brother upon her wish. He had done many things to upset her journey through the Labyrinth, but he had done them all right in front of her and hadn't hidden a single one.

Save for the peach.

Then again, it hadn't been Jareth who had handed her that peach, it had been Hoggle.

And, this time around, no lies had been made, simply disturbing dreams and notice of Sarah's wishes.

She looked up at the Goblin King, lounging in the chair across the table from her and was about to answer when a few goblins entered the room with dinner.

Jareth sat up as they began to place the dishes across the table, giving both Jareth and herself the option to eat whatever they wished.

Jareth looked at her when the goblins departed. "I highly recommend the chicken. They are fed the best of foods and raised in the most comfortable of ways to make sure that they make fine dinners and lay perfect eggs. We haven't had a bad chicken yet," he said, digging into the potatoes.

Sarah stared at him, not moving.

After a moment, he glanced back up at her, an eyebrow raised. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing," she said, quickly moving to begin filling her plate.

"Is there something in particular I can have them bring out for you to drink? You can't very well have supper without something to wash it down with."

"Do you have any tea?" Sara asked, shyly.

Jareth smiled. "But of course." Jareth clapped his hands and, seconds later, a goblin in a chef's hat appeared with a bow.

"Our guest would like some tea," he said.

The goblin nodded, gave another bow, then left.

"So, they think I'm your guest, then," Sarah said.

"Like I said, we must avoid having any riots. Goblins are destructive little creatures when they're in their best of moods. I would hate to see them upset."

Sarah looked at him and made a nod before moving to get a bite of chicken. "I suppose calling me your prisoner would be a bit upsetting for them."

"Technically, you are not a prisoner, my precious thing," Jareth said, taking a huge bite of green beans.

"How do you figure?" Sarah asked.

"Well," Jareth said after swallowing his food, "we don't allow our prisoners to sleep in comfortable beds and have their own bathing rooms. We don't give them dresses and undergarments, either. We have a dungeon for our prisoners."

"But I can't leave the room," Sarah said. "My door is always locked."

"Have you tried the door?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "No," she said. "I suppose I haven't."

"Then how do you know it is locked?"

"I suppose I figured you would keep me locked up, considering the kind of trouble I seem to be."

"You have free run of the palace, Sarah. I simply have a few places closed off to you. Places such as the throne room, the goblin wing, and the servant halls. Just because I don't want you turning my people against me does not mean that I want to keep you locked in a room."

"But you said yourself earlier that if the goblins knew-"

"Would you have left the room if I hadn't ordered you to?"

Sarah glanced down.

"You were emotionally locked there, Sarah, too terrified and too upset to leave. I was the reason for that, so, technically, you were trapped there."

"And you think having me dine with you is going to change things?"

"Do you not feel better?"

Sarah pondered for a moment.

"I suppose I do," she replied, slowly.

"And now that you know that you are free to wander the palace, I imagine you will take advantage of that."

"I must admit, it would be better than sitting in that cold room all the time."

The goblin chef re-appeared, setting a cup and a kettle of hot water on the table as well as a wooden box. He then bowed and left.

Sarah opened the wooden box quizzically to find an assortment of teas.

"I recommend the Earl Grey," Jareth said.

Sarah looked at him, curious. "I have to admit, I expected this evening to be awful," she began, "but you have proven it to be otherwise."

Jareth smirked, raising his glass to his lips. "You thought I spent all of my time being a tyrant?" he asked, taking a sip from his glass.

"Spoiled," Sarah said, pulling a packet of loose-leafed Earl Grey from the box and pouring it into the pot's steeper. "I actually believed that you spent all of your time acting spoiled. I truly did not realize that you had more issues to be concerned with in this kingdom than Lenna setting the Labyrinth on fire."

"Well, as spoiled as we rulers may be, never believe it to be an easy task to run a kingdom. Particularly a goblin kingdom."

"If it's so difficult, why don't you just give the kingdom over to your brother? Obviously he wants it and it's more than clear that you do not."

Jareth sighed. "If I let him rule this kingdom, it will be destroyed within a week."


	20. The Twenty Yard Tunnel

**Author's Note: Thanks again to all readers and reviewers! You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters that aren't mine. I promise I'll put 'em back when I'm done.**

Lenna, finding nothing to grab onto to stop her descent, flew through the end of the tunnel and took the terrifying fall, landing directly on top of Xaiden.

"Oof," grunted Xaiden.

Lenna quickly rolled off of him, slowly standing up and brushing herself off.

"I must say," Xaiden said, rising, "you chose the worst outfit to go parading about the Labyrinth in."

"I was hoping the Goblin King would be easily distracted."

"Him? Distracted by a sexy girl?" Xaiden couldn't help but laugh.

"I take it he's never had a girlfriend?"

"Despite his royal rights to sleep with anyone he wishes, he has not yet found the right hole to hide the salami in, if you catch my drift. Sometimes I wonder if he even like girls."

"Are you saying he prefers men?" Lenna asked, stunned.

"No, I don't think he likes them, either," Xaiden said. "His entire life, all it's been is work, work, work. It's almost as if he'd marry a crown and be content."

"But he had time to hang out with you," she stated, crossing her arms.

"We were good friends as boys," Xaiden said. "Not wishing to lose his only friend, he told me to feel free to run about the Labyrinth whenever I wished."

"How is that hanging out?"

"Usually we have a nice supper when I've completed the maze."

"Uh huh," Lenna said. At that point, she noticed strange sounds and the most awful smell floating through the air. She looked around, finding herself to be surrounded by trees.

"What's that noise?" she asked rhetorically.

"And that smell," Xaiden added, crinkling his nose.

As they began to walk, they found the noise getting louder and the smell getting stronger.

"I think we should turn around," Xaiden said. "This is disgusting."

"Hold on, I need to see what it is. If it's a beast, I need to know."

"Why do you need to know if it's not coming after us?"

"Because, I need to know what _could_ come after us so that we're not taken by surprise. If we're prepared, it'll be that much easier to defeat."

"Ugh. Well, you go on ahead, then. I'll wait right here," Xaiden said, stopping.

Lenna rolled her eyes and continued onward, covering her nose.

A few minutes later, she was able to see a bubbling bog.

"Ugh," she said. "I don't even want to know!"

With that, she turned around to head back towards Xaiden, only to be caught by a booby trap.


	21. Twenty One Minutes of Strange Thougts

**Author's Note: I thank you all for sticking with this story. I think this chapter and its partner (Twenty-Three Skipped Beats) will prove to be satisfying. Okay, let me rephrase. I _hope_ this chapter and its partner, Twenty-Three Skipped Beats, prove to be satisfying. I know I had a blast writing them. Thanks again for your reading and a great thanks to all of my reviewers! Keep up the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but boooyyyyyy, do I have fun with 'em. Please don't sue. You'll get them back, I swear!**

"Somehow I doubt that," Sarah replied, taking a refreshing sip of tea.

"He would let them run amok. They would have the Goblin City in ruins within a week."

Sarah stared at him for a moment. "Why would you care? It wouldn't be your kingdom anymore."

"The goblins need a stern ruler, not a careless king who worries about nothing more than the next notch he plans to have on his bedpost."

"You sound jealous," Sarah said, taking a bite of her chicken to hide the fact that she was trying to suppress a grin.

"Hardly," Jareth scoffed. "The git couldn't rule a kingdom if his life depended on it."

Sarah thought for a moment as she finished chewing and swallowing her chicken. "Perhaps you could teach him," she suggested. "He could rule the kingdom and you would be mostly free of the responsibility. You wouldn't even have to mentor him for very long, I'm sure. You could do anything you wanted after that. You could travel _anywhere_."

Jareth clenched and unclenched his jaw at the thought, having completely forgotten about his dinner. "It's not so easy," he informed her.

"I don't see why not," Sarah said. "You are, after all, the king."

"Because I was born to rule while he was born to play," Jareth growled. "There is no changing that."

Sarah studied Jareth for a moment as he downed his drink and poured another. She could feel the tension radiating off of him, could see the stress at the very idea of giving his kingdom to his brother, of all people, dance across his face. And that's when it hit her.

"You're attached," she said in awe.

Jareth downed his fresh drink and moved to refill it only to find the bottle empty. "Skhod," he called out.

Sarah continued to stare, hardly able to breathe. She could see emotions running through his generally-cold eyes that she had never expected to see in him. It was almost like watching a loving parent imagine the horror of letting criminals raise their children for them.

The goblin whom she assumed to be Skhod walked up to the table at that moment with a bow.

Jareth handed him the bottle. "Bring me another," he said.

Sarah watched him massage the bridge of his nose as Skhod trotted off. He looked exhausted.

She sipped her tea as she watched him, thoughts that she had never expected to think running through her head. Memories of Mannonda telling her to have an open heart and mind tonight, memories of Jareth's final words to her before she'd delivered the final blow, so to speak, on her journey through the Labyrinth, memories of the worm telling her how nothing is what it seems filled her mind and made her feel light-headed.

Skhod returned, setting the bottle on the table. "Anything else, Your Majesty?"

Jareth shook his head and Skhod left.

Sarah continued to watch him as he poured his drink and sipped at it, appearing to be either lost in thought or mentally numb-it was hard to tell which.

She was surprised by the pity that she felt for the king, by the stabs of pain she felt in her heart as he sat across from her, left naked by the lack of any mask to cover his true self.

She swallowed as her strange thoughts became more prominent.

"Jareth," she said when she could no longer stand it.

He looked up, surprised at hearing his name spoken by her. The only place he'd thought he would ever hear it was in their dreams.

Sarah swallowed again, wondering why her throat was so dry.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You know why," he replied after a long pause, finishing off his drink and pouring another.


	22. Twenty Two Yards Later

**Author's Note: Faithful readers and reviewers! You make this totally worth my while. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. Keep up the great work!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't sue me.**

"Xaiden!" she screamed, dangling from a tree branch, being held only by a rope around her ankle.

"Ha!" she heard someone say and she saw a little dog-like creature bound into view. "I knew this would help capture intruders!"

"I'm not intruding, I swear," Lenna said.

"Then what brings you here?"

"I'm lost. My name is Lenna, I'm traveling the Labyrinth to try to get back to the castle."

"You were going towards my bridge," replied the creature.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to. I was just trying to find out what was causing that sound."

"And that smell," Xaiden threw in.

Lenna glanced over to find that he, too, was hanging from a tree.

"Why, that wonderful smell is simply the bog."

"Have you had your nose checked lately?" Lenna asked. "That smell is _awful_!"

"Do not question my sense of smell. I live by it! Now, what is your business with going to the castle?"

"I have to save Sarah," Lenna informed him. "She's my friend and she accidentally wished me away, then traded places with me. I can't leave her here."

The creature's eyes softened. "Sarah, you say?" he asked, memories coming back.

"Yes."

Suddenly, the ropes loosened, dropping Lenna and Xaiden carelessly on the ground.

"Ow!" Lenna said.

Xaiden, still trying to show off, said nothing.

"This Sarah, you say, has traded places with you?"

"Yes," Lenna said, loosening the rope from around her ankle.

"So His Majesty has you running the Labyrinth to save her, then, instead of her running to save you," he guessed aloud.

"Actually, he refused to make a deal with me. I had to get myself wished here and he said that I can't run for her as I wasn't the one to wish her away, nor can I run for myself for the same reason."

Xaiden walked up and stretched his hand out to Lenna, who gratefully grabbed it, standing.

"Oh, I am afraid you have no way of saving Sarah, then, my lady," replied the creature somberly.

"There _has_ to be a way!" Lenna protested.

"May I ask you, my lady, what does Sarah look like?"

"Uh, long, dark hair, pale skin. She has green eyes."

The creature bowed. "Sir Didymus, at your service. I will lead you to the castle because the lady you wish to save is an old, very dear, friend to me. However, I cannot promise you that His Majesty will return Sarah to you."

"Xaiden should be able to talk the Goblin King into letting her go. They're very old friends. Thank you for your help," Lenna replied.

Sir Didymus paused. "He cannot come," he informed Lenna.

Lenna put her hands on her hips. "Why not? He said he'd help me get her back, that he's good friends with the Goblin King."

Xaiden strode forward and grabbed Sir Didymus by the scruff.

"He is-" Sir Didymus was cut off by Xaiden's hand wrapping tightly around his muzzle.

Lenna turned and looked at Xaiden, her lips pursed. "You're what?" she asked.

"I already told you, we're old friends," Xaiden tried, all the while wishing death upon Sir Didymus.

"If you're old friends, why doesn't he want you at his castle?"

Xaiden sighed. "I told you before, I run the Labyrinth for the challenge. Sir Didymus can't just show me the way, I have to find the way myself."

"Then why are you holding his mouth shut?" Lenna asked.

Sir Didymus struggled, pushing at Xaiden's hand, trying to get his mouth freed.

Xaiden had no answer.

Lenna stepped forward and dug her nails into Xaiden's hand, causing him to let go, dropping Sir Didymus to the ground.

"Thank you, my lady. Now, as I was saying, he is His Majesty's brother, just returned from his century of banishment."

Lenna gawked at Xaiden for a moment, then slapped him across the face. "How could you? You _used_ me! Just so you could get to his castle."

"No, I agreed to help you save your friend. Why should _you_ care what other motives I might have?"

"What do I _care_? I'm here to save Sarah, not to take over a kingdom!"

"I swear to you, Lenna, I'm here to make ammends. I have no wish to take his throne."

"How the hell do you expect me to believe that? It's been nothing but lies from the getgo! 'Save me, I've been trapped down in this ditch for a few days.' 'Oh, Lenna, I couldn't have survived without your brave rescue.' All lies! And for what? Because you wanted to get in my pants? Is that it?!"

"Lenna, you are the first woman I have met who is strong enough to hold her own. You don't need someone there to protect you all the time, your wit and intellect take care of that for you. Please believe me, I swear I'm telling the truth."

Lenna softened her expression. "Oh, okay. If you swear you're telling the truth, you must be," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"They always said to beware the temper of a lady. No one ever told me I should expect the same kind of behavior from a tart!"

In all of her rage, Lenna lunged at Xaiden, ready to claw his eyes out with her nails. Unfortunately, she wound up landing with her face planted in the dirt, Xaiden having vanished.

She felt Xaiden's foot immediately plant itself firmly on her back and she heard the sound of his sword being pulled from it sheath.

Xaiden pointed it at Sir Dydimus.

"I think you forget the amount of power I have in comparison with yours," Xaiden said to Lenna, his voice sending a chill down her spine. "Now, both of you will lead me to the castle or you will die."


	23. Twenty Three Skipped Beats

**Author's Note: And here is "Twenty-One Minutes of Very Strange Thoughts" partner chapter. I hope you enjoy. A great thanks to my faithful readers and reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: If only they were mine….**

"Humor me."

"Sarah," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose again, "you made the wish, not me."

She could see the mask of his ego slipping back into place.

"Don't you dare," she demanded. "Jareth, I _know_ there is something you're not telling me and I'll be _damned_ if you go hiding behind that arrogant mask of yours like a coward!"

She was stunned when she finished speaking. Not only did she realize that she had shouted at him, but she also found herself presently almost nose-to-nose with him, her fists clenching the fabric that covered his shoulders. She wanted to let go, to run away. She knew she had overstepped her boundaries, if not by yelling at him, then certainly by going as far as to get physical. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to back away, though. She was frozen as she stared into the flaming eyes that stared into her equally horrified ones.

She watched Jareth's jaw clench, then let go of his sleeves in shock as his hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging in with a bruising grip. She took in a breath of surprise when he rose and shoved her into the wall with such speed and might that her head spun. And, before she even realized what had just happened, she felt his lips press against hers with such force that it felt as if he were feeding a long-buried hunger.

Her next surprise came when she melted into his passionate kiss, responding with an appetite that she had been unaware of until now.

After several minutes, Jareth pulled away, reluctantly. "Was that clear enough for you?" he asked after a moment, still panting.

Sarah simply stared at him, drop-jawed. She tried to catch her breath, but it seemed just out of reach.

Jareth turned and strode back to the table where he proceeded to sit down and pick up his drink, sipping at it as he watched her.

"I need to think," she forced out as she pushed weakly away from the wall, staggering back to the table.

Jareth's mouth set. The kiss she had returned had been a great surprise, after which he hadn't expected this. He set his drink down and stood, taking her shoulders firmly in his grasp and leading her back to her seat where he helped her sit down.

Sarah planted her elbows on the table and rested her forehead in her hands, her eyes closed.

Jareth stood, at a loss as far as what to do. He had never had anyone who needed his coddling before. What was wrong with her?

"Sarah," he finally tried.

She glanced over at him. "You kissed me," she said.

Jareth smirked. "Yes, I believe that is the proper word for it."

"We're enemies," she continued.

"Enemies don't dine together."

Sarah grabbed her tea in shaky hands and looked up at him, taking comfort from the warmth of her cup, from the aroma that was given off.

Jareth went to get his chair and pull it around to the side of the table, angling it so he was facing Sarah.

Sarah took a sip of her tea as Jareth sat down, slouching in his chair, his elbow propped on the table and his finger against his lips as he studied her.

"Why would you kiss someone who defeated you?"

"Is there a law that says I shouldn't?" he asked.

"Do you trust me, Sarah?" Jareth asked after several moments of silence.

This question took Sarah by surprise and she looked up at him, unsure as of what to say.

He continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know," she finally admitted.

"You admitted earlier that I have never lied to you and you have never been in any real danger here."

Sarah laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right. The cleaners and your trigger-happy goblins were _far_ from being anything dangerous."

"Were you hurt?"

Sarah stared at him for a moment. "No," she finally said.

"Sarah, I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me."

Sarah sighed. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes. Whether she wished to believe it was because of her or because of something else, she had yet to decide. However, she did wonder if her imagination had forced him to be who he was. This was, after all, a cursed, magical kingdom. She supposed anything could happen.


	24. Twenty Four Breathless Minutes

**Author's Note: **Another thanks to my readers and reviewers. I was quite surprised to find a bunch of fresh reviews not long after submitting chapter 23. Thank you all for your reading and reviewing.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, I don't own all of these lovely characters. But I like to play with them all the same. Please don't sue me. I promise I'll put them away when I'm done.

Sir Dydimus drew his sword and took the proper stance for the beginning of a good sword fight.

"En garde," he said.

Xaiden looked at him with a dark grin. "How I do love a good match," he said, taking position as best as he could with his foot on Lenna's chest.

As Lenna heard the clanking of swords begin, she tried to wriggle her way out from under Xaiden's foot only to have it pressed painfully against her chest at her attempts to escape.

She grabbed Xaiden's ankle, trying to give some relief to her lungs, but it wouldn't budge.

Seconds later, Xaiden knocked Sir Dydimus' sword from his hand, catching it in his own.

"Now that we've had that bit of fun," he said, his sword aimed at Sir Dydimus and Sir Dydimus' sword caressing Lenna's throat, "take me to the castle."

"I would sooner die than lead you to His Highness' castle," said Sir Dydimus, raising his head with dignity.

"Ah, yes. A noble knight." Xaiden's sword dug into Lenna's throat. "It isn't your life you should be concerned with."

Sir Dydimus gulped and he looked between Lenna's nervous face and Xaiden, trying to decide what to do.

"Don't do it, Sir Dydimus. He's scum."

"Ah, but if he doesn't, you cannot save your precious Sarah," Xaiden reminded her.

Lenna's eyes squeezed shut in regret of forgetting her best friend during this fiasco. He was right, she couldn't even try to save Sarah if they didn't lead him to the castle.

Sir Dydimus stood, considering his options for a few moments. He knew that punishment for this action would be severe. He had already committed treason once for Sarah.

Mind you, he had been willing to do it again to lead Lenna to her, but this, this was much bigger. He was leading the King's brother to the castle and he had never heard a good word about the man. Assisting in conquest was an entirely different matter.

"I am sorry, Lenna. I cannot show him to the castle."

"Get it over with, then," Lenna said in a shaky voice.

"Any last requests?" Xaiden asked with a smirk as he caressed her cheek with Sir Dydimus' sword.

Lenna felt a chill run down her spine. "I'm surprised that you would give a rat's ass about anyone's last request."

"It's custom."

"Allow me to make things right with the Lord before you take the life He's given to me away."

"Very well, then," Xaiden replied after a moment. His foot remained on her chest.

"I have to kneel," Lenna said.

"It's nothing more than a bloody prayer," he replied. "You could say it in the bath if you wanted to."

"Yes, but it is my final prayer and I want to do it properly," Lenna retorted. "He deserves the respect."

Xaiden sighed. "Very well," he said, taking his foot off of her chest.

Lenna automatically inhaled deeply, filling her starving lungs. Once she had her breathing under control, she rolled over and stood up, brushing her clothes off, then walking over to a nearby tree and kneeling.

Xaiden followed her close, keeping Sir Dydimus' sword at her back and keeping an eye on Sir Dydimus.


	25. Twenty Five Footsteps Before the Slam

**Author's Note:** Thanks again, my faithful readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome.

**Disclaimer: **More's the pity they're not mine. I'll put 'em back when I'm done, so don't get your knickers in a twist and go suing me.

Jareth abruptly rose and began to pace, running one hand over his face, his other hand resting on his hip.

"Mannonda was right," he muttered.

Sarah sat, trying to decide how to make sense of what had just happened. She was pulled from this reverie, however, by a glint off of the forgotten crystal laying on the table.

She reached out slowly and picked it up, bringing it closer to look into it. She saw Xaiden holding a creature that looked all the world like Sir Dydimus at sword-point and she saw him holding Lenna down on the ground with his foot, a smaller sword digging into the back of her neck.

"Jareth," she said, not quite able to keep the shake out of her voice.

He stopped his pacing and looked over at her to find her staring into the crystal, eyes wide with fear.

Pushing his previous problem aside, he strode over and took the crystal from her, looking into it himelf, then hurling it against the wall in rage, shattering it into a shower of glitter.

"Mannonda will be here to take you to your room soon," he said, his tone deadly, as he stormed out of the dining hall.

Sarah winced at the slamming of the doors.


	26. Only Twenty Six Words Into Revision

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Keep it up!

**Disclaimer: **I cannot claim what is not mine.

Sir Dydimus watched Lenna pray dramatically to her Lord as she begged for forgiveness and made a request that Xaiden be sent to rot in Hell for his evil deeds, all the while wishing there was something he could do to save Lenna and still protect the castle.

That was when he noticed that Lenna was repeating the same prayers she had already said, only with slightly different wording. At the realization that she was delaying Xaiden to give him time to make a move, Sir Dydimus forced himself to run further into the surrounding woods in hopes of leading Xaiden off the path to the castle and away from Lenna so that she might escape.

Xaiden noticed Sir Dydimus was no longer there a moment later out of the corner of his eye and looked around to see where he'd gone. When he saw Sir Dydimus running in the distance, he ran his sword through Lenna's back, took on his falcon form and, grabbing both swords in his talons, flew after the knight.

Lenna, unable to get enough air to make any noise, tried to breathe and, as her blood seeped through her corset, finally lacked the strength to remain kneeling. She fell forward, weakly raising her hand to keep her head from hitting the tree, then fell onto her side in the dirt.


	27. Twenty Seven Proof Trippled

**Author's Note: **More thanks to my readers and my reviewers! I hope this story is keeping you entertained. Keep up the great work!

**Disclaimer:** I'm just borrowing them… really!

Sarah hadn't been waiting long when Mannonda appeared behind her.

"His Majesty informed me that you need to be shown to your new room and he requested that I tend to any wounds you may have."

"Wounds?" Sarah asked with a blink as she came out of her reverie.

Mannonda gave her a sly smile. "I know it is not my place, but…" she urged.

"I yelled at him and he kissed me," Sarah said in a tone of frustration. "I hope that makes sense to you because it doesn't make a whole lot to me."

"You sound upset that he chose to kiss you as opposed to sentencing you to the usual punishment for such sub ordinance," Mannonda said in feined surprise.

Sarah sighed as they left the dining hall. "It's just a lot to take in," she explained.

Mannonda nodded. "Being kissed by royalty would make any girl swoon," she agreed.

Sarah frowned. "How would they react to being kissed by their enemy?"

Mannonda laughed. "Oh, yes, I had forgotten," she lied. "You still see him as an enemy."

Sarah glanced at Mannonda with uncertainty. "I'm not sure what else to see him as."

"He kissed you and you don't know what to see him as," Mannonda said, more as a statement of awe than a question.

"He was drunk," Sarah said. "And stressed."

Mannonda laughed. "Drunk? No, he doesn't get drunk."

Sarah raised an eyebrow as they approached a door. "You didn't see how much he drank."

"I will admit, that stress-killer of his does strip away his mask, but he means every word he says." She looked over at Sarah. "And everything he does. And none of it is said or done by mistake."

She opened the door. "This is your new room," she said.

Sarah walked in with Mannonda behind her. She looked around the room, seeing a fire place and an ornate bedroom set, complete with a matching nighttable, wardrobe, dresser, and queen-sized bed.

She walked over to look out the window to find that it looked over the forest, then turned back to Mannonda.

"Do you have a crystal? I'm really worried about Lenna," she said.

Mannonda looked at her for a moment. "I think it would be best for you not to concern yourself over it. I am keeping a close watch on Lenna. I promise you, no harm will come to her."

"But that _man_! He had a sword to her neck!"

"She will be fine," Mannonda said, turning Sarah around and beginning to unlace her gown. "Now, stand still so I can take care of your wounds."

"I'm fine," Sarah snapped, pulling away.

Mannonda looked in Sarah's defiant eyes and sighed. "If you insist. At least let me help you change out of this gown and into your night clothes."

Sarah sighed in exhasperated submission and turned back around.

Mannonda went back to unlacing Sarah's dress.

"Pardon me for speaking out of turn, My Lady," Mannonda began after a long pause, "but I know that you felt it."

"Felt what?" Sarah said, not really liking the direction this conversation was going.

"Somehow I don't see a girl responding to her enemy's kiss the way you responded to his."

Sarah's jaw set. "That's right. You see everything," she said blandly.

"My Lady, I told you, I am very important here. I need to look after His Highness' health, both physical and mental, as well as yours. He hasn't been well today, but, when you kissed him like you did, it was as if all of the weight was lifted from his shoulders."

Sarah's dress slipped down around her ankles and Mannonda began unlacing her corset.

"You seriously think he loves me," Sarah said.

Mannonda shook her head. "No, My Lady. I know he does. That open mind and open heart that you gave him tonight gave him the chance to show you his true self."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "He was drunk, whether you believe it or not. People will say _anything_ when they're drunk."

Mannonda chuckled. "_Humans_ will say anything when they're drunk. His Majesty is not human and, as I said before, nothing he says or does is unintentional."

Sarah's corset fell off and Mannonda held the nightgown over her head. "Arms up," she said.

Sarah put her arms in the air and let Mannonda slip the gown over her head. She turned to sit on the edge of her bed, facing Mannonda.

"I just don't think I can give him what he wants."

"Why not? What's the harm in trying?" Mannonda asked, sitting on the bed beside her.

"Mannonda, he banished my friends. I understand, I know they committed treason, but, just or not, that has already put a wall up between us. Lord, if I ever saw them again, they'd hate me if I was with him."

Mannonda tried to hold back her chuckle.

Sarah glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"I am sorry, My Lady. Who told you that he banished them?"

Sarah blinked. "Why, His Royal Highness, of course," she said snydely. "He's the only other person I've spoken to since I got here."

"Might I tell you a secret?"

Sarah looked at her.

"He did not banish them. Though one may have thought they were banished with the distance they kept until he cooled down."

Sarah gaped. "But he said-"

"Of _course_ he _said_ he did. He was angry and you were ready to believe it. I am surprised you didn't notice."

Sarah looked at her questioningly.

"Sir Dydimus was there with Lenna and Xaiden when you saw the image in the crystal."

Sarah stared at her, her eyes going wide.

"Of course, I could see you not noticing, considering the fact that your friend was in quite a spot."

"So," Sarah said after a long silence, "Xaiden's threatening him, too."

Mannonda shook her head. "Perhaps I should have waited to tell you. Don't worry about it. He's a knight, perfectly capable of fending for himself."

Sarah sighed. "Please don't let anything happen to them," Sarah plead.

Mannonda put an arm around Sarah's shoulders and squeezed. "I told you, I am watching over them. They will be fine. Now," she said, rising and conjuring a cup, "drink this." She handed the small cup to Sarah.

Sarah sniffed at it and wrinkled her nose. "Is this the same stuff Jareth was drinking?" she asked.

"I feel that you've had enough stress for one evening to need something stronger than what His Majesty gave you last night."

"But what if it kills me? The bath oils had an unexpected effect on me," Sarah pointed out.

Mannonda smiled. "It may make you a bit dizzy," Mannonda admitted. "There certainly isn't enough in this tiny cup to knock you out, let alone kill you. It will simply help you to sleep."

Sarah put the cup to her lips and downed the surprisingly sweet liquor, then handed the cup back to Mannonda.

"That set in quickly," Sarah commented as her head began to spin.

Mannonda helped Sarah into bed. "Sleep well, My Lady. I will be here in the morning to help you get ready for the day."

She got no response from Sarah as she had already fallen asleep.

Sarah was asleep before Mannonda even closed the door behind her.


	28. Twenty Eight Minutes in Red

**Author's Note: **More grand thanks to my readers and reviewers. It fills me with joy to find that people are enjoying my story. In this chapter, our witch gets a name of her very own!

**Disclaimer: **Deziktra is mine. As well as Lenna and Xaiden. The rest are…. um…. not.

Deziktra smiled as she looked into her dark, murky pond. The image it held was that of Lenna, lying alone on the forest floor, bleeding to death.

She was honestly surprised that her possession of Xaiden had been so easy. Normally when she tried to possess one, they would fight it. Of course, normally they knew that she was a threat. Xaiden hadn't even remembered that she existed.

Normally this fact would hurt ever-so-slightly, but, in this case, it only proved the spell she had put on him a century ago to be successful and she felt no need to feel bothered by that.

Her smile broadened at the image. She noticed that Lenna was no longer breathing. The one threat to her plans was dead.

Satisfied, she washed the image away with a flick of the wrist and turned to walk to her meditation chamber. She needed to feed her powers to assure conquest.

She meditated on the way things would be when she ripped the Goblin Kingdom from Jareth's grasp. A cruel grin crossed her face as images of Jareth as her foolish jester and Xaiden as her mindless puppet swam through her mind. And the image of Sarah being ravaged by her men was like rich, sweet icing on an already-perfect cake.


	29. Twenty Nine Times Worse

**Author's Note: **And the plot thickens! Thank you all for your lovely reading and/or reviewing.

**Author's Additional Note:** Yes, this chapter was posted yesterday, but as I took another gander at it to decide where to move next, I decided to give it some prettier wording in one of the lines, so here it is, reposted in all of its chaptery glory!

**Disclaimer: **You know who's mine. I take no claim over anyone else.

Mannonda stood over the bed in the medical wing that she had transported Lenna to. She had managed to stop the bleeding, but, despite her talents in healing, hadn't been able to close the wounds completely.

Jareth appeared beside her, having gotten her summons mere seconds before.

"I don't think Xaiden's your problem," she informed him without even looking at him.

Jareth rubbed the bridge of his nose, not sure he was ready for a larger problem than Xaiden.

"These wounds have a magical barrier," she continued. "It has to have been placed by someone who has been practicing dark magic for millennia. Even _I_ can't break it."

Jareth's eyes turned to steel as he stared at Lenna's pale form.

"I have stopped the bleeding, but, if she doesn't get her wounds sealed soon, she will die from a lack of oxygen. Her lung has been punctured."

Jareth fought back a sigh and Mannonda backed away from Lenna as he moved closer to examine the wound himself.

He sneered. He could sense the witch's touch a world away.

"I can save her," he said after several moments of quiet examination.

Mannonda cocked her head. Along with the rage he had towards the witch, she could sense a sliver of remorse.

"I hope you aren't blaming yourself for this," she said.

"If I hadn't sent her out there, she wouldn't have been wounded," he said tonelessly.

"How were you supposed to know the witch was going to go after her?"

Jareth didn't respond.

"It will take a lot of power to defeat the witch," Mannonda reminded him as he prepared to heal Lenna. "Are you certain that healing her is a wise idea?" Oh, how she enjoyed testing him.

"I won't have my reputation be further ruined by that witch's antics. Even the brats don't get killed while running my Labyrinth."

Mannonda smirked. "Is it truly your already-tarnished reputation that happens to be the reason you are saving her?"

Jareth said nothing as he set to work destroying the barrier and healing Lenna's wound. When he was finished, it took all of his will-power to keep from falling across the table, for his strength was gone.

Mannonda quickly stepped over to gently take him by his arms, supporting him.

"With her wound gone, she should be well enough to transport to one of our rooms. If you could take care of that and sit with her until I return, it would be appreciated. And keep a lookout for the witch. I hope that I can get enough rest before that adventure begins."

Mannonda nodded. "Will you be alright getting to your chambers?" she asked.

Jareth nodded as he grabbed the doorframe for balance.

"You're Highness," she said and he turned his head slightly to acknowledge her. "Give her some time. The transition from enemies to friends doesn't happen over night."

Jareth couldn't help but smirk. "It's nice to know she's gained your approval," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone, though his voice was weak. Then, using what little power he had left, vanished.


	30. Thirty Minute Marathon

**Author's Note: Thank you to all! Your reading is great! Your reviews are great! You're all great! And the greatest apologies for such a long wait.**

**Disclaimer: In this chapter, I own Xaiden. Sir Dydimus belongs to some other folks.**

Sir Dydimus darted through a hole in the roots of a tree as the falcon gained on him, finding himself in a small, yet adequate hole in the dirt beneath the tree. As he panted, catching his breath, he heard the shrieking of the falcon; of Xaiden.

_I certainly hope that Lady Lenna was able to escape,_ he thought to himself as he heard the falcon land.

Not a second later, the falcon's head came thrusting into Sir Dydimus' hiding place and he jumped back in surprise as far as he could, pressing his back against the wall of the hole.

Xaiden snapped at him furiously, turning every which way in his attempt to get Sir Dydimus from any angle necessary.

Finally, the falcon backed off and Sir Dydimus breathed a sigh of relief, only to find a hand replacing the falcon head a moment later.

As the hand fished for him, Sir Dydimus grabbed on to it and bit into one of the fingers very hard, breaking the skin and causing a bruise to form around the bite mark immediately.

Xaiden snapped his hand back and cursed.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sir Dydimus wriggled back out of the hole, knowing that he would have to be quick as he would be right beside Xaiden.

As Sir Dydimus ran as fast as he could, Xaiden fumbled to catch him, his attempts hindered by his freshly wounded finger. With a growl, he jumped up and took off after Sir Dydimus.

This pleased Sir Dydimus immensely because he was able to run right back around the tree and, grabbing his abandoned sword on his way by, dive back into the hole.

He heard Xaiden let out a grunt of livid frustration as he landed on his knees beside the tree. Sir Dydimus took his sword and drove it through the hole and straight into Xaiden's knee, pulling it back quickly to avoid having it taken from him again. He got a scream of anguish in response.

He then repeated this action, only this time jabbing his sword into Xaiden's other knee, affording him another scream. He then tore out of the hole again, continuing in the same direction that he had been running before.

He could hear Xaiden struggling to get up and he could hear his clumsy gait as he made an attempt at chasing him with his injured knees.

To Sir Dydimus' relief, only moments later, he heard Xaiden slow and drop to the ground, the pain being too much of a hindrance.

He continued running, however, eventually reaching a particularly large rock. He stopped at it, kneeling on one knee in front of it. He jabbed the tip of his sword into the ground before him and leaned on its hilt. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he began to speak.

"Sir Dydimus, requesting passage," he said.

"What is the password?" the rock demanded.

"Lady Sarah."

He listened as a large tunnel formed through the rock and, when it was finished opening up, he rose, gave a bow, and ran through the tunnel. The rock closed behind him.

The tunnel ran under the ground, much further under the ground than the oubliettes did and it lead directly to the castle dungeon. No one other than himself and King Jareth knew of this tunnel. It had been created specifically for emergencies, which this most certainly was.


	31. Thirty One Seconds To Headache Relief

**Author's Note****:** Sorry it has taken me so long to post another chapter. Thank you all for being so patient. I really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

**Disclaimer: **You know who I own. You know who I don't. Don't sue.

Sarah woke up, her head killing her. She mentally rolled her eyes with a groan as she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. The times she had drank had been few and far between for this reason exactly. She had never been a fan of hangovers and, being the lightweight that she was, she generally avoided alcoholic beverages.

A loud clank sounded next to her and she groaned again, prying her eyes open and looking for the culprit. She found a crystal on the floor in front of her bedside table and sighed in annoyance. She tried to ignore it, rolling over onto her other side and making yet another attempt at going back to sleep.

The crystal, however, was relentless.

Sarah tried very hard to block out the sounds of the crystal rolling itself repeatedly into her bedside table, but to no avail. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, she threw her covers off, sat up swiftly, and turned, reaching down to grab the crystal, despite the magnified pounding she could feel in her head.

"What? What is so important that you feel the need to wake me after a night like last night?" she snapped at the crystal, feeling herself to be a bit silly. That feeling was immediately shoved to the back of her mind.

She looked into the crystal to see a black glittering cloud vanish in a swirling haze, revealing the image of Lenna lying in a bed, Mannonda sitting at her bedside.

Sarah's jaw dropped and she set down the crystal and got out of bed, headache forgotten. She went to her closet, dug out a robe, and tore out her bedroom door. It wasn't until a dead end in the hallway gave her no option other than to go down a staircase to her right that she realized she had no clue where she was going.

"Mannonda?" she called, looking around. "Mannonda!"

"My Lady," she heard a voice say softly.

Sarah turned around to find Mannonda poking her head out a doorway. She trotted back down the hall to her.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Mannonda asked cautiously as Sarah stopped in front of her.

"Lenna. Is she back?"

"Yes, but—"

"When did she get back? Why didn't someone tell me?"

"My Lady," Mannonda said sternly.

Sarah looked at her inquisitively, taking in the solemn expression etched across Mannonda's face. "Is she…."

"She's alive."

Sarah let out a sigh of relief.

"But she needs to heal. She was mortally wounded."

"Is she going to be alright?" Sarah asked, fear clutching her chest.

"She'll be fine. But it's going to take some time."

"How long?"

Mannonda looked Sarah in the eye for a moment, then her gaze drifted down to the floor.

"Is she awake?" Sarah asked, her great concern evident.

Mannonda looked at her again. "Not yet. But she will be."

"When?"

"That I cannot answer."

Sarah was silent for a very long moment, processing the information that she had just been given.

"You may see her," Mannonda said, ending the slience.

Sarah, who had been staring into nothing, looked at her.

Mannonda led her into the room and gestured for her to sit down.

"Your presence may be a great help. I know the two of you are close."

Sarah looked at Lenna as she seated herself.

Lenna's lack of expression scared Sarah even more than the fact that she wasn't awake. She grabbed her hand and held it to her cheek.

"And what does his majesty have to say about all of this?" she asked bitterly. "Is he pleased to be rid of this challenge? Never mind the fact that she's my best friend! Is this how—"

"He isn't any happier about this than you are," Mannonda snapped.

"Where is he, then? If he's so concerned, why the hell isn't he here, looking after her?"

"He's resting. Saving her life took every ounce of power he had. He was barely able to get back to his room to recuperate."

"Recuperate?" Sarah said in disbelief.

"My Lady, things are not the same here as they are aboveground. We do not have medical examiners who use tools to help them patch things up. Here, we use magic. Now, Lenna's assailant was far too powerful for me to be able to close her wounds, so His Majesty stepped in and took care of it. Unfortunately, this witch is so powerful, that it drained him to the brink of unconsciousness. Now he must sleep to regain his power."

Sarah looked back at Lenna's still face. "Who did it?"

"Deziktra," Mannonda replied softly. "She's the most powerful witch in the underground and has a heart as black as ebony. She has possessed Xaiden, causing him to do things that, despite any wish for vengeance he may have, he would never do."

Sarah nodded absently as she continued to stare at Lenna. "What does she want?"

Mannonda shrugged. "That we do not know, My Lady."

"I swear to God," Sarah hissed, "if Lenna doesn't makeit… if Lenna _isn't_ okay…"

Mannonda moved behind Sarah and gently put her hands on her shoulders. "Lady Lenna would never want you to reap vengeance, even for her. Your soul is far kinder and far more forgiving than that."

Sarah sighed and a tear slid down her cheek as she pressed Lenna's hand against it.

"I will leave you two alone. Call for me if you need anything." With that, Mannonda left the room, closing the door softly behind her.


	32. Thirty Two Seconds Before a Miracle

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've decided that all of my readers deserve a good chapter for Christmas! I hope you all enjoy this. I will try to make my updates far more frequent. A great thanks to all of my readers and reviewers! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** My characters are mine. The other characters… aren't.

Sarah woke to the feeling of a plate jabbing her shoulder and jumped, startled. She pried her eyes open and sat up quickly, looking around her only to find Jareth standing beside her, holding a plate topped with a bowl in one hand and a steaming cup in the other. She stared at him.

"Mannonda informed me that you've been sitting by her side all week and haven't eaten a thing. Take this. I know you are worried, but you need to keep your strength. I will need all of the help I can get in the coming weeks."

Sarah continued to stare for a moment. She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, could see it in his stance. She took the plate and the cup from him.

"Thank you," she said softly, setting the food and drink on the table beside her. "I heard what you did," she said after a long moment of silence.

Jareth forced a smirk. "There are many things I have done."

"Please don't be impish, I haven't got the energy."

"I'm sure you blame me for all of this," he said to her, barely more than a whisper.

Sarah pondered it for a moment. "No. No, I don't. I did at first. God, I was so angry. But I know that it wasn't your fault. Not really." She looked back up at him. "I know she's been trouble to you. Thank you for saving her life. It couldn't have been easy."

"With her importance to you, it was a piece of cake," he said and, with a tired wink, left the room.

Sarah sat there, dumfounded for a moment, only to be brought back by a groan.

She turned back to the bed to see Lenna try to move, wince in pain, and ease back against her pillow. Her eyes opened slowly.

"Lenna?" Sarah's eyes were wide and hopeful and she had no notice of the tears that threatened to fall.

"How did I get here?" Lenna swallowed, her throat feeling dry and scratchy.

Sarah grabbed Lenna's hand. "Thank God you're alright," she breathed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Nice to see you, too," Lenna said with a light smirk of her own. "I shouldn't be here, though. I haven't defeated the Labyrinth."

"Mannonda brought you back," Sarah said.

Lenna looked puzzled.

"She was set as my 'maidservant', so to speak. She brought you back. And Jareth saved you."

Lenna stared at her blankly for a moment. "You're joking."

"I didn't believe it at first myself, but he did."

"No. Someone's got to be pulling your leg. He's my adversary. Why would he save me?"

"His intention wasn't to kill you. It was to challenge you. It's been tough for me to grasp, but I think he's actually a good person. We just don't see it when we're competing with him."

"I don't see you changing your opinion about him. Don't tell me you've fallen for him," Lenna said.

Sarah was appalled at the idea. "Absolutely not! I'm just saying, maybe he's not as bad as he makes himself out to be. That's all."

"Well, whatever happened, I'm grateful. Have they been good to you?"

Sarah shrugged. "I can't complain," she said, not quite ready to tell Lenna of any of the happenings that had gone on during her absence.


	33. Thirty Three Minutes Closer to Death

**Author's Note:** Hello! Sorry again for the long wait. I am hoping that you enjoy this chapter and any chapter that follows today.

**Disclaimer: **You know who's mine. You know who's theirs. Enough said.

Sarah woke to the gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, then turned to see who it was. She found Mannonda standing behind her.

"Sorry to have startled you."

"It's fine," Sarah said, rubbing her eyes.

"His majesty wanted me to invite you to have tea with him in the gardens."

"What time is it?"

"Half past midday."

Sarah looked at Lenna to find her sleeping peacefully.

"I can stay with her while you are away if you would like."

Sarah shook her head. "She'll be fine. She'll probably still be asleep when I get back."

Mannonda nodded. "I will notify His Majesty of your acceptance of his invitation while you freshen up."

Sarah followed Mannonda out the door, then walked to her room where she proceeded to take a quick shower and to change her clothes. Not feeling in the mood for anything fancy, she put on a pair of jeans and a poet's shirt. She clipped the sides of her hair back and put on some mascara, then flung her bedroom door open, nearly bumping into Mannonda who had been about to knock.

"Ready?"

Sarah nodded.

"I am glad you decided not to wear anything formal. After the week the two of you have had, His Majesty felt that you both deserved a relaxing time outdoors and being formal would have made this get-together pointless."

"Well, I'm glad His Majesty won't be upset by my casual appearance today."

Mannonda led Sarah to the courtyard where she found Jareth standing beside the table, dressed in brown leather pants, knee-high brown boots, and a cream-colored poet's shirt. He pulled the chair he stood beside out for Sarah as she approached the table and gestured for her to sit, then pushed it in ever the slightest before taking his own seat.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he said.

Sarah stared at him. His posture was perfect and his voice sounded rested. His eyes, however, betrayed how he really felt.

"You look quite refreshed," he said to her with a smile.

"It's amazing what a shower and a change of clothes can do," she said nervously, the smile seeming to be foreign.

A goblin servant came with a tray that held a brewing tea kettle and a plate of crumpets and set it on the table in front of them.

"Thank you," Jareth said.

The goblin bowed, then left.

Jareth set a cup and a small plate in front of each of them, then lifted the tea kettle.

"Listen," Sarah said, "don't get me wrong, I really appreciate this relaxing time outside, but you haven't gotten an ounce of sleep, have you?" she asked as he poured her tea. "Why should you worry about my welfare when you're the one who needs to recuperate before…" Not sure how she wanted to word it, Sarah let the sentence stop there.

Jareth paused in pouring his own tea and looked at her for a moment, then finished pouring his cup and set the kettle back on the tray. "This is a part of my recuperation, he said as he chose a crumpet and held it in front of his face, inspecting it. "I've been going mad stuck in that damned room all week long. I invited you because I am quite sure you haven't been feeling much better stuck in Lenna's room all week long." He took a bite of the crumpet, sure to chew and swallow it before continuing. "I have slept, Sarah. I have slept a bit too much, in my opinion. That witch is out there plotting and scheming to take over the kingdom, though I'd be damned if I knew why. My brother, who is enough of a problem on his own, is now possessed by said witch. And here I've been, all bloody week long, sleeping."

Sarah stared at him for a moment. "Mannonda said you needed the rest."

"I _did_!" he yelled in obvious frustration.

Sarah took a sip of tea. "There's something else going on."

Jareth, whose eyes had gone wild, stared over Sarah's shoulder into nothing.

He and Sarah sat just like that for a long time, neither of them speaking.

Sarah nervously took the last sip that her teacup had to offer. Jareth appeared to have frozen where he sat and, despite the fact that Sarah didn't know him very well, she could tell that something beyond the upcoming war was wrong. Something had him seriously shaken.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, she reached across the table and laid her hand on his. She watched as he jumped, his eyes slowly coming back from wherever they had been.

Jareth looked down at their hands, then back up at Sarah, perplexed.

"Talk to me," Sarah said gently. "Please tell me what is going on."

Saying nothing, Jareth pulled his hand away, summoned a crystal, and handed it to her.

Sarah looked into it to find it pitch black. Her brow furrowed. "What is this?"

"I summoned a crystal after bringing you breakfast this morning only to find that I can't see anything. I can't see a single thing anywhere across the entire kingdom.

Sarah glanced back up at Jareth and watched as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Where is Sir Didymus?" she finally asked.

She watched as his fingers stopped moving, but remained where they were, his eyes opening and looking straight at her. He stared for a moment in silence before responding. "Meditating," was all that he said.

"Where?" she asked as his eyes closed again.

"He's safe in the castle, if you want to consider anywhere safe anymore."

"Since when does Sir Didymus meditate?"

Jareth opened his eyes again. "Since when is anything what it seems here?"

Sarah paused for a moment. _'Good point,'_ she thought. "Where is Hoggle? And Ludo?"

"They are in their homes. As sad as it is to say, they're probably safer than any of us are."

Sarah gulped and watched him for another few minutes. "What can I do to help?" she finally asked.

Jareth's hand dropped to the table as his eyes flew open. "You can stay out of it," he snapped. "Something terrible has happened in my week of absence and, once we've finished the tea and the crumpets, I expect you to stay in Lenna's room with her. There is a bathroom in there and there are no windows. It is the safest room in the castle."

"You're afraid to be out here right now, aren't you? If it's so dangerous, why didn't we do this indoors?"

"I need to see some part of this kingdom other than the inside of the castle. I need confirmation that my kingdom still _exists_."


End file.
